Judge Allows Trump's $10 Billion Lawsuit Against BBC to Proceed
A federal judge in Florida has allowed Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC to go forward, after denying in part the broadcaster's motion to dismiss, a request asking a court to end a case before it goes to trial. The judge, Jeffrey T. Kuntz, is a Trump appointee to the federal district court in Florida.
The suit stems from a BBC Panorama documentary titled Trump: A Second Chance. According to the Guardian, the programme spliced together comments Trump made before the 6 January US Capitol insurrection. The edit joined remarks that were made nearly 55 minutes apart. The BBC has apologised for the editing at issue in the lawsuit.
Judge Kuntz found that Trump had sufficiently pleaded that the BBC acted with actual malice. That is the legal standard a public figure must meet to win a defamation case, and it requires showing more than a simple mistake. The judge's finding means the claim can continue, but it does not decide whether Trump will win.
Not every claim survived. Judge Kuntz dismissed Trump's allegation that the BBC violated Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, a state consumer protection law.
The judge also ruled that Trump must prove actual damages, meaning concrete harm caused by the documentary. The programme was not broadcast in Florida.
Separately, a Florida magistrate judge, a court official who handles pretrial matters, ruled that Trump must sit for a deposition, a sworn question-and-answer session held outside the courtroom, with BBC lawyers by 11 December. If he does not, he could face sanctions, which are penalties imposed by the court.
