From NBC News: The BBC will file a motion to dismiss President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over its editing of a speech that made it appear he had directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol.
In a filing late on Monday, the British broadcaster argued that the court in Florida lacked personal jurisdiction in the case because it did not broadcast the programme in Florida, and that the president could not prove damages because he was re-elected after it aired.
Trump said Britain’s publicly owned broadcaster defamed him by splicing together parts of a Jan. 6, 2021, speech, including one section where he told supporters to march on the Capitol and another where he said “fight like hell.” It omitted a section in which he called for peaceful protest.
The BBC has apologized for the editing which appeared on its “Panorama” documentary programme but said it would defend the case.
On Monday’s filing, the BBC argued that Trump could not plausibly prove “actual malice.” It aims to have the complaint dismissed, and asks the court to stay the merits-based discovery phase, where both sides have access to evidence from other parties in the lawsuit.
“As Plaintiff failed to plead actual damages, claiming only vague ‘harm to his professional and occupational interests,’ his claim fails,” the BBC filing stated.
BBC will aim to have Trump’s $5bn defamation lawsuit thrown out https://t.co/rTCmUpcTd0
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) January 13, 2026
Read more at NBC News
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