Florida judge rules Trump’s 10bn defamation suit against BBC can proceed after rejecting dismissal bid

Ruling lets defamation claim continue

Jeffrey T Kuntz, a federal district judge in the Southern District of Florida, issued a 40-page ruling on Tuesday. He partially rejected the BBC’s motion to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit.

The case was filed in federal court in Miami in December 2025. Trump sought at least $5bn for alleged defamation and another $5bn for an alleged violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act; Kuntz dismissed the second claim.

Dispute over documentary editing

The suit focuses on the BBC documentary Trump: A Second Chance?, released in October 2024. Trump alleges it combined parts of one speech recorded nearly 55 minutes apart and edited them to suggest he directly urged violence.

Trump calls decision a victory

Trump has denied telling supporters to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power. He has also continued to falsely claim that vote-rigging cost him the 2020 election. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump described the ruling as a “huge victory against Fake News BBC”.

Other disputes with media outlets

Trump’s attorneys have sought large financial penalties from major news organisations and publishers in several jurisdictions. The BBC case is one part of that broader legal effort.