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The BBC has officially filed a motion to dismiss President Trump’s multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: Back in December, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the BBC, claiming that its documentary “Trump: A Second Chance?” deliberately distorted his January 6, 2021 speech by editing together separate remarks to make it appear as though he directly urged supporters to engage in violence at the US Capitol. He pointed specifically to a short clip that merged lines spoken nearly an hour apart…“we’re going to walk down to the Capitol” and “we fight like hell”…..which he argued created a false and damaging narrative. Trump alleged that this edit was intentional, misleading, and politically motivated, accusing the BBC of attempting to harm his reputation. As a result, he is seeking up to $10 billion in damages, arguing the broadcast was defamatory, deceptive, and malicious.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, lawyers for the BBC filed a motion to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit, arguing that the case should be thrown out at an early stage and “with prejudice.” They say that the Florida court has nojurisdiction because the documentary was never aired or made available anywhere in the US. The BBC also argues that Trump cannot plausibly claim reputational harm, pointing to the fact that he was re-elected after the documentary aired and that extensive prior coverage of January 6 had already shaped public understanding of the events.
While acknowledging and apologizing for the edited clip, the BBC maintains that the “mistake” was unintentional and does not rise to the level of defamation. Its lawyers also warn that allowing the case to proceed would have a “chilling effect” on journalism, potentially discouraging news organizations from reporting on powerful figures due to the threat of costly litigation.
So far, the judge has not ruled on the motion to dismiss but has allowed the case to continue moving forward procedurally and declined to pause aspects of the process. A potential trial date has been set for 2027 if the case is not dismissed. Trump’s legal team has not responded to the motion to dismiss.
More to come.
