A federal judge in Florida ruled on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, that President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC can proceed, partly denying the broadcaster’s motion to dismiss.[1][2] The ruling did not decide whether Trump has proven his claims.
Related: The Boston Report business section.
The ruling
Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz of the Southern District of Florida, a Trump appointee, issued a 40-page decision.[1] He found plausible Trump’s claim that the BBC damaged his reputation and knew or should have known the edit was misleading.
“This was not trimming around the edges but creating something different than what was stated in the speech,” Kuntz wrote.[2]
What the case is about
The suit centers on the Panorama documentary “Trump: A Second Chance?,” broadcast in October 2024.[1] It joined two parts of Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, speech that were nearly 55 minutes apart.
The BBC admitted the edit was misleading and apologized to Trump on Nov. 13, 2025, a month before he sued.[1] It continues to deny that it defamed him.
What both sides said
“We are surprised by this decision but respect the Court’s authority and note the case will now proceed to the next stage,” a BBC spokesperson said.[1] “We remain confident in our position.”
Trump called the ruling a “huge victory against Fake News BBC” on Truth Social.[1]
What comes next
Trump faces a court-ordered Dec. 11 deadline to testify under oath, after skipping a scheduled October deposition to campaign before the midterms.[1] Missing it could put the lawsuit at risk of being thrown out.
More coverage is in our White House section.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: Judge rules Trump’s $10bn BBC defamation suit can proceed
- The Guardian: Federal judge allows Trump’s $10bn defamation lawsuit against BBC to proceed
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