The BBC will file a motion to dismiss President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit which is based on the editing of a speech appearing to encourage storming the U.S. Capitol on 6 January.
Court filings released late on Monday indicate the broadcaster will argue that a Florida court does not have personal jurisdiction, as the programme in question was not broadcast in the state. The BBC will also contend that Trump cannot demonstrate damages, noting that he was re-elected after the programme aired.
Trump alleges that the publicly funded British broadcaster defamed him by editing together separate parts of his 6 January 2021 speech, including his call for supporters to march on the Capitol and his remark to “fight like hell”, while excluding a passage urging peaceful protest.
The lawsuit claims the BBC breached a Florida statute prohibiting deceptive and unfair trade practices. Trump is seeking at least $5 billion in damages for each of the two counts.
Although the BBC has apologised for the editing shown in its Panorama documentary, it has said it will vigorously contest the case.
According to the court filing, the broadcaster intends to submit its motion to dismiss by the 17 March deadline. It argues that Trump cannot plausibly show the documentary was produced with “actual malice”, a legal standard required in defamation cases involving public figures.
The BBC, which is funded by a compulsory licence fee paid by UK television-watching households, also stated that the programme was not available in the United States via the BritBox streaming service, contrary to claims made in the lawsuit.
In addition, the broadcaster has asked the court to suspend the discovery process while the motion to dismiss is under consideration. It said proceeding with wide-ranging discovery at this stage would impose significant and unnecessary costs if the case is ultimately dismissed.
The filing adds that Trump has failed to demonstrate concrete losses, instead citing only generalised harm to his professional and occupational interests, which the BBC argues is insufficient to sustain the claim.
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took t...
Saudi Arabia has restored its vital East-West oil pipeline to near-full capacity, but escalating Houthi attacks on energy facilities, airports and ...
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 9 October 2026 with five key developments from the CIS summit in Turkmenistan....
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
U.S. federal immigration agents shot and wounded a man in a car with a five-year-old boy inside in New York City’s Bronx neighbourhood on Thursday, city officials, police and witnesses say.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticised the United States following a series of Russian attacks that killed more than 70 people over two days, arguing that Washington is not doing enough to help Kyiv counter Moscow's continued assault.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
The United States has unveiled a new round of sanctions targeting Iran's energy exports, taking aim at vessels, companies and individuals accused of helping move Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemicals to overseas markets.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment