A federal judge preserved the defamation portion of U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the BBC on Tuesday, leaving a claim seeking at least $5 billion in play, AFP reported. The court dismissed his separate claim under Florida’s consumer-protection law.
Trump had requested at least $5 billion for each of the two claims before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey T Kuntz dismissed the Florida count, AFP reported. Trump alleges the BBC documentary joined separate excerpts from his Jan. 6, 2021, speech to make it appear he directly urged supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol.
The BBC apologized for the edit, which prompted several senior executives to resign, AFP reported. The broadcaster has denied causing Trump real injury. In his ruling, Kuntz said the gap between the excerpts could support an inference that the BBC knew or should have known the edit did not present the speech truthfully, AFP reported. Whether Trump can prove his claims and damages will be decided at a later stage.
A BBC spokesperson told AFP the broadcaster was “surprised by this decision,” but respected the court’s authority and would continue through the legal process. Trump called the ruling “A Huge Victory” in a Truth Social post, AFP reported.
A separate order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett sets Dec. 11 as the deadline for Trump’s deposition and says he could face sanctions, including dismissal, if he does not comply. EconoTimes previously covered the deposition deadline.
