US judge rejects BBC bid to dismiss Trump defamation suit

A federal judge upheld US President Donald Trump's $5 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC on Tuesday, dismissing the broadcaster's attempt to have the case dismissed. Trump alleges the BBC manipulated a documentary to depict him inciting violence as he urged supporters to march on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The judge, Jeffrey T. Kuntz, ruled in favor of keeping the defamation claim but struck down the Florida consumer protection law claim.

Kuntz noted the BBC's edited documentary distorted Trump's speech to give the impression he had explicitly called for the attack on the Capitol. While the BBC apologized for the incident and resigned several executives, it maintains no real harm was done to Trump. Kuntz stated the time gap between the segments in the documentary was significant enough to suggest the BBC was aware their edited version was false.

In response, Trump praised the ruling as a "Huge Victory" on his Truth Social platform, vowing to continue fighting against those spreading misinformation. The BBC's deposition request, which Trump had been evading, faced a setback when a magistrate judge mandated his appearance by December 11, threatening sanctions and potential lawsuit dismissal if he did not comply.