Federal judge allows Trump defamation lawsuit against BBC to proceed

A federal judge in Florida ruled on Tuesday that a 10 billion dollar defamation lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump against the BBC can proceed. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz partially denied the British broadcaster's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The Guardian, the Washington Examiner, BBC News, Bloomberg, and Reuters all reported on the ruling. [1][2][3][4][5]

The lawsuit stems from an episode of the BBC documentary Panorama, titled Trump: A Second Chance. The Guardian, the Washington Examiner, and BBC News reported that the action relates to the splicing together of separate comments Trump made before the 6 January 2021 US Capitol riot. Judge Kuntz determined that Trump plausibly alleged the BBC acted with actual malice, according to the Washington Examiner. [1][2][3]

BBC News reported that Judge Kuntz dismissed a second claim in the lawsuit alleging that the broadcaster had violated Florida state law on unfair trade practices. Trump described the court ruling as a huge victory in a social media post, while a BBC spokesperson stated that the organization was surprised by the decision, according to BBC News and the Washington Examiner. [2][3]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Trump originally sued the BBC for 10 billion dollars in December 2025. A federal magistrate judge recently ordered Trump to sit for a deposition in the case by December 11, 2026, ahead of the discovery period deadline on December 18. [8]