A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump’s multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit against the BBC can move forward, rejecting the British broadcaster's attempt to dismiss the case. Trump filed the lawsuit in December 2025, claiming that the BBC deceptively edited a documentary segment to portray him as inciting violence during his speech to supporters on January 6, 2021, prior to the Capitol riots. The lawsuit seeks at least $10 billion in damages, with $5 billion attributed to each of two separate claims of defamation and a violation of a Florida consumer protection law.

The judge, Jeffrey Kuntz, denied the BBC's motion on Tuesday, stating that whether Trump can substantiate his claims and demonstrate damages will be determined at a later stage. Trump's legal team argues that the BBC's "Panorama" program, which aired just a week before the 2024 election, presented a "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory and malicious depiction" of him by splicing together two clips from his speech that were 55 minutes apart, omitting his call for peace. Trump expressed his satisfaction with the ruling, labeling it a "Huge Victory against Fake News BBC" on his Truth Social platform.S2

The BBC, through a spokesperson, expressed surprise at the court's decision but affirmed its commitment to the legal process, stating, "We remain confident in our position and will continue to respond through the proper legal process." The spokesperson also noted that BBC Chair Samir Shah had previously sent a personal letter to the White House apologizing for the editing of Trump's speech, while maintaining that they disagree with the basis for the defamation claim. The case is set to proceed, with Trump indicating he will be available for a deposition in the second or third week of January 2026, following a postponement due to "other matters of national importance."S2