Trump’s $10bn defamation lawsuit against BBC allowed to proceed in part by federal judge

Court lets part of case proceed

Federal judge Jeffrey T Kuntz ruled on Tuesday that Trump’s case against the BBC may continue in part. He denied some of the broadcaster’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

The $10bn claim concerns the Panorama programme Trump: A Second Chance. It spliced together remarks Trump made before the 6 January US Capitol insurrection, with the remarks nearly 55 minutes apart.

Judge examines documentary edit

The BBC has apologized for the editing. Kuntz said the gap between the statements could support a plausible inference that the broadcaster knew, or should have known, the resulting segment was not truthful.

Kuntz wrote that the edit went beyond trimming a speech and created something different from what Trump had said. He also said Trump’s allegations about the BBC’s departure from journalistic standards plausibly suggested more than negligence.

Separate claim dismissed

The judge dismissed Trump’s claim that the BBC violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. That claim will not proceed, unlike the defamation lawsuit in part.

Deposition deadline set earlier

In late October, a Florida magistrate judge ruled that Trump must sit for a deposition conducted by BBC lawyers by 11 December. The ruling said he could face sanctions if he did not comply.