A federal judge in Florida has allowed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the BBC to proceed, while throwing out a second claim in the case.
Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz of the Southern District of Florida, a Trump appointee, issued a 40-page ruling on Tuesday that partially rejected the BBC’s motion to dismiss.
He found that Trump had plausibly alleged the broadcaster damaged his reputation and knew or should have known the edit was misleading.
The ruling does not decide whether Trump can prove those claims. Kuntz dismissed a separate count brought under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The suit, filed in December 2025, sought at least $5 billion on each count. It centers on an October 2024 Panorama documentary that joined two clips of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech delivered nearly 55 minutes apart. The BBC apologized for the edit on November 13, 2025, but denies that it defamed him.
A BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster was “surprised by this decision” and respects the court’s authority. Trump called the ruling a huge victory on Truth Social.
Trump faces a December 11 deadline to testify under oath or risk having the suit thrown out, after skipping an October deposition to campaign in the midterms.
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