BBC loses bid to dismiss Trump defamation suit

A US federal judge has allowed President Donald Trump's multi-billion dollar defamation suit against the BBC to proceed, rejecting the British broadcaster's bid to dismiss the case.

US District Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz rejected the BBC's request to throw out the defamation claim but dismissed a separate claim under a Florida consumer protection law. Trump has sought at least $5 billion for each claim.

Trump accuses the BBC of deceptively editing a documentary to make it appear that he urged supporters to attack the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The documentary spliced together two separate parts of his speech that day.

The BBC has apologised for the edit, which prompted the resignation of multiple senior executives, but denies it caused Trump real injury.

Kuntz wrote that whether Trump can prove the claims and show damages at summary judgment or trial is a question for another day. He also wrote that the gap between the two spliced statements supported a plausible inference that the BBC knew or should have known the segment was not truthful.

Trump called the ruling “A Huge Victory” in a Truth Social post.

The ruling follows an earlier order requiring Trump to give a deposition by December 11 after the BBC said he was avoiding sworn testimony. The court said he could face sanctions, including possible dismissal of the lawsuit, if he does not attend by then.