Donald Trump just scored a major win in his massive lawsuit against the BBC, but the fight is far from over. A federal judge’s ruling shakes up the $10 billion defamation case over an edited Jan. 6 documentary.
Judge Roy Altman allowed Donald Trump time to amend the lawsuit over the BBC’s Jan 6 documentary
A federal judge handed Donald Trump a legal win in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, Fox News reported. United States District Judge Roy K. Altman granted Trump permission to file an amended complaint in Trump v. British Broadcasting Corporation.
The ruling also wiped out the BBC’s previous motion to dismiss as “moot.” Trump had filed the lawsuit in December in a personal capacity. He sought $5 billion for defamation and $5 billion for violating Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The BBC had argued Trump missed the deadline to amend his complaint. The broadcaster also accused him of playing tactical legal games to avoid financial disclosures. Altman, however, sided with Trump and allowed the modification to proceed.
A spokesman for Trump’s legal team praised the decision in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Today’s strong and thoughtful ruling is a major win for President Trump’s powerhouse lawsuit against the formerly respected and now disgraced BBC, which defamed President Trump by intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring his speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election,” the spokesman said. The BBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit centers on a 2024 Panorama documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” The documentary stitched together remarks Trump made nearly an hour apart during his Jan. 6 address. It made it appear as if he told supporters to “fight like hell” at the Capitol shortly before the riot.
A whistleblower dossier compiled by communications advisor Michael Prescott revealed the editing concerns. The Telegraph first reported excerpts from that dossier. The controversy ultimately led to the resignations of BBC CEO Deborah Turness and Director-General Tim Davie.
Trump must file his amended complaint by Monday. He plans to focus on personal reputational harm while still seeking $10 billion in damages.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
