BBC asks court to dismiss Trump's $10B lawsuit over Jan. 6 speech

The BBC is preparing to ask a court to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit filed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The lawsuit, filed in December, alleges defamation and unfair trade practices stemming from the BBC’s editing of a speech Trump gave on January 6, 2021, before the U.S. Capitol riot. The BBC documentary, “Trump: A Second Chance?”, spliced together quotes from the speech to create the impression that Trump urged supporters to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell,” omitting his call for peaceful demonstration.

The BBC has apologized for the edit but denies defaming Trump, and the controversy led to the resignations of its top executive and head of news. The BBC’s legal team will argue the court lacks jurisdiction, as the documentary wasn’t created or broadcast in Florida, and that Trump’s claim of U.S. availability via BritBox is false. They will also contend Trump hasn’t demonstrated malice on the part of the BBC.

Trump’s lawyers argue the documentary damaged his reputation, but the BBC counters that his strong reelection performance and subsequent indictments related to the January 6th events negate any potential harm. The BBC is requesting a postponement of the discovery process, which could involve extensive document requests, until the motion to dismiss is decided. A trial date has been tentatively set for 2027.

(Source：Google News)