BBC seeks dismissal of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit
Photo: Donald Trump, US president (Getty Images)
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will seek dismissal of US President Donald Trump's lawsuit filed over alleged defamation in the documentary Panorama,
The British broadcaster argues that the Florida court does not have "personal jurisdiction" over it, that the venue is "improper," and that the US president "failed to state a claim."
The BBC also emphasizes that Trump has not demonstrated any actual harm, noting that he was re-elected after the documentary aired and won a majority of votes in Florida. The US president also claims that Panorama was broadcast on BritBox, which the company says is "not correct."
Additionally, the BBC stated that the US leader cannot plausibly claim that the documentary was published with "actual malice."
What BBC is asking the court for
In court documents filed on Monday, January 12, the British broadcaster requested that the court suspend all other discovery procedures until a ruling is made on its motion to dismiss the lawsuit. This concerns the pretrial process of exchanging information and evidence between the parties.
Earlier, the BBC apologized to the US president for the editing, but rejected his demands for compensation and did not agree that there were grounds for a defamation lawsuit. The company also stated that the Panorama documentary was not broadcast in the US and did not discredit Trump.
Background
In December, Trump filed a lawsuit against the British broadcaster BBC over alleged defamation in the documentary Panorama, which aired a week before the 2024 presidential election.
The lawsuit seeks $10 billion: $5 billion for defamation and another $5 billion for violating Florida’s law on deceptive and unfair trade practices.
The case concerns an edited version of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech, which, according to him, the BBC deliberately misrepresented. Trump claimed that the editing created the impression that he was allegedly encouraging his supporters to commit violence and storm the Capitol, whereas his words were not spoken in that sequence.
According to the US president, the BBC intentionally omitted key parts of his speech, misleading viewers. He also claims that Panorama was produced as part of a "brazen attempt to interfere and influence the election outcome to Trump’s detriment."
Recently, the White House launched a new section on its official website publicly criticizing the media and journalists, accusing them of misrepresenting events and showing "bias."
