A federal judge in Florida has cleared the way for former President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the BBC to move forward, after the broadcaster sought to dismiss the case. Judge Jeffrey Kuntz ruled that Trump’s claims that the BBC “intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring” a speech he gave outside the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021 are sufficient to keep the case alive, though he left the merits of the allegations to be decided later.
The lawsuit, filed in Florida, alleges that a BBC Panorama episode edited together two separate sections of Trump’s speech, giving the mistaken impression that he called for violent action. The BBC has apologized, stating the broadcast misrepresented the president’s words.
Trump’s suit also included a claim that the BBC violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Judge Kuntz dismissed that portion, finding the documentary did not qualify as commercial speech under the state law.
Trump has called the judge’s decision a “huge victory” in a post on Truth Social. A BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster respected the court’s authority and would continue to respond through the proper legal process.
Earlier this month, Trump was ordered to answer questions under oath in the lawsuit by 11 December. He had previously cancelled a deposition, citing “matters of national importance,” and a BBC lawyer noted that Trump was campaigning in Georgia on the scheduled day, prioritising that over the court’s request.
The lawsuit originally named BBC Studios, the broadcaster’s commercial arm, but Trump later dropped it after the BBC argued it had no role in producing the documentary.
Source: BBC World
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