Judge Kuntz Keeps Trump's $10 Billion BBC Defamation Case Alive

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz denied a motion to dismiss on Tuesday, allowing President Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation to proceed.

The case stems from a dispute over a documentary that aired in 2024. Trump filed the suit in December 2025, claiming the BBC edited his January 6, 2021 speech to portray him falsely and maliciously. The specific episode in question aired on the Panorama program one week before the 2024 election.

Trump's legal team argues the network spliced two clips from the same speech that were 55 minutes apart. The lawyers contend this editing omitted a statement where Trump called for peace, thereby misleading viewers about his intent during the events at the U.S. Capitol.

Judge Kuntz stated that the question of whether Trump can prove these claims and establish damages will be decided during summary judgment or at trial. The judge did not rule on the merits of the case but on the procedural motion to dismiss it.

President Trump reacted to the ruling on Truth Social, calling it a huge victory against what he termed the Fake News BBC. He described the broadcaster as a terrible abuser of the truth in his post.

A BBC spokesperson said the corporation was surprised by the decision but respects the court's authority. The spokesperson added that the BBC remains confident in its position and will respond through the legal process.

Procedural issues have already surfaced in the litigation. On October 22, a federal judge in Miami ordered BBC lawyers to respond to discovery requests by December 11. The judge warned that non-compliance could lead to penalties, including possible dismissal of the lawsuit.

Trump was originally scheduled for a deposition in October, but his lawyers notified the BBC in late September that he was unavailable due to matters of national importance. The president has indicated he is available for the deposition in the second or third week of January.

In November 2025, the BBC apologized to the president regarding the editing of the speech. BBC Chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House expressing regret over the edit. While the BBC Press Office said it sincerely regrets how the video was edited, it maintains that it strongly disagrees with the validity of the defamation claim.