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The BBC will file a motion to dismiss a $10 billion defamation lawsuit Donald Trump brought over an edited clip in a 2024 Panorama programme. The British broadcaster will argue the Florida court lacks jurisdiction and that the US president failed to state a valid claim.
The corporation plans to submit court documents late Monday evening UK time challenging Trump's lawsuit on multiple grounds. The BBC will contend the Florida court lacks "personal jurisdiction" over them, the venue is "improper," and Trump "failed to state a claim."
The lawsuit stems from a Panorama episode broadcast in 2024 that spliced footage from Trump's January 6, 2021 speech. Trump's lawyers called the edit "false and defamatory," claiming it gave the impression he encouraged supporters to storm the Capitol building.
BBC's Legal Arguments
The broadcaster asserts it did not create, produce, or broadcast the documentary in Florida. The corporation also disputes Trump's claim that the programme was available on BritBox streaming service in the US, calling it untrue.
The BBC will argue Trump failed to "plausibly allege" the broadcaster published the documentary with "actual malice" - a legal requirement for public officials in US defamation suits. The corporation has requested the court "to stay all other discovery" pending the decision on the motion to dismiss.
The Disputed Edit
The controversy centres on how Panorama edited Trump's speech from January 6, 2021. The original statement included: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol... and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell."
Should the case proceed, a trial date has been proposed for 2027.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).