Florida Judge Approves Trump's Defamation Lawsuit to Proceed

US Federal Judge Jeffrey Kuntz has ruled that US President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC can proceed, while dismissing a second claim under the state's unfair trade practices law.

Federal Judge Jeffrey Kuntz in Florida has allowed US President Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit to move forward following the BBC's request to dismiss the case. However, Judge Kuntz dismissed the second part of the $10 billion lawsuit, which was based on the state's unfair trade practices act. Trump described the decision allowing the lawsuit to continue as a "major victory" on the Truth Social platform.

A BBC spokesperson stated that they were surprised by the decision but respected the court's authority and that the case would move to the next stage. The spokesperson added that the institution remains confident in its position and will continue to respond through the legal process. Judge Kuntz found Trump's allegations sufficient for the lawsuit to continue, without ruling on the merits of the case.

The lawsuit was filed after the BBC's Panorama program broadcasted two different parts of Trump's speech prior to the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, edited together. Trump argues that the institution knowingly and misleadingly manipulated the speech. The BBC had previously issued an apology stating that the broadcast created the impression of a direct call to violence, but requested the dismissal of the lawsuit by arguing that the program did not meet legal defamation criteria and was not accessible in the US.

Judge Kuntz dismissed the claim under the unfair trade practices law on the grounds that the documentary did not constitute commercial speech. Meanwhile, a judge last month requested that Trump answer under oath by December 11 regarding a deposition that he had previously delayed citing matters of national importance. Earlier in the year, Trump's lawyers acknowledged that they had no evidence that the documentary was accessible in the US via BritBox, the BBC website, BBC Select, or other US broadcasters, and agreed to drop the commercial arm BBC Studios from the lawsuit.