BBC bid to throw out Donald Trump's defamation case dismissed in court

A federal judge has rejected the BBC's bid to dismiss a $10 billion defamation lawsuit brought by Donald Trump. The case centres on a documentary aired by the broadcaster ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, which Mr Trump claims was deceptively edited to make it appear as though he was inciting violence at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. US District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz ruled that the lawsuit outlined a plausible claim for defamation, noting that the editing of the former president's speech could potentially establish "actual malice". The BBC had previously apologised for the editing, which spliced together two separate comments from Mr Trump's speech, but has denied that it caused him any real injury. While the defamation claim will proceed, Judge Kuntz dismissed a separate claim brought by Mr Trump under a Florida consumer protection law. A spokesperson for the BBC said the broadcaster was "surprised" by the decision but respected the court's authority and noted that the case would now move to the next stage. The legal battle comes as Mr Trump continues to pursue several lawsuits against media organisations regarding their coverage of his presidency and campaigns.