Trump’s $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC Cleared to Proceed

A US federal judge has ruled that a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) can proceed, while dismissing his separate claim accusing the broadcaster of unfair trade practices.

The ruling was issued on Tuesday.

Trump filed the lawsuit against the publicly funded British broadcaster over an edited video of his speech that appeared to suggest he had encouraged supporters to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. He is seeking at least $10 billion in damages.

US District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz, based in Florida, refused to dismiss Trump's defamation claim against the BBC.

The judge said Trump had plausibly argued that the edited video damaged his reputation and that the BBC knew, or should have known, that the footage could be misleading.

However, the ruling does not mean that Trump has proved his allegations. The case will now be allowed to proceed through the legal process.

Trump described the decision as a "big victory". In a social media post, he wrote: "We will continue to fight and defeat everyone who is trying to mislead the American people."

A BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster was surprised by the court's decision but respected the authority of the court and remained confident in its position.

The BBC had previously acknowledged that the editing of the video was misleading and apologised to Trump. However, it has rejected liability for defamation.

Trump filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Florida last December. He alleged that the BBC had combined two separate portions of his speech.

In one section, Trump urged his supporters to march towards the Capitol. In another, he told them to "fight like hell". However, the broadcaster omitted the portion in which he called for peaceful protest, according to the lawsuit.

The edited footage was broadcast on the BBC's Panorama programme shortly before the 2024 US presidential election, which Trump went on to win.

Subsequently, a leaked internal BBC memorandum identified the editing of the speech as a potential example of political bias.

The dispute has since developed into a major legal challenge for the broadcaster, with the court's latest ruling allowing Trump's central defamation claim to move forward.