A US judge has ruled that President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC will proceed to trial in 2027, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
The federal court for the Southern District of Florida set a provisional trial date of February 15, 2027, for a two-week trial. The decision came after Judge Roy K. Altman rejected the BBC's attempt to delay the proceedings.
Trump filed the lawsuit in December, alleging that the BBC edited his January 6, 2021 speech in a way that defamed him and violated trade practices. The lawsuit seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices.
The suit was filed after it was revealed that the BBC’s “Panorama" program, in a documentary aired days before the 2024 US presidential election, spliced together quotes from different parts of Trump’s speech, making it appear as though he encouraged his supporters to "march with me and fight like hell." The edit omitted a portion where Trump urged his supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
Although the BBC apologized for the editing error, it denied the defamation claims. The controversy led to the resignations of the BBC’s top executive and its head of news.
The BBC had sought to dismiss the case, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction since the program was not broadcast in Florida and that Trump failed to state a valid claim. The British broadcaster asked for a delay in the discovery process, which would require the broadcaster to turn over documents and emails related to its coverage of Trump. Judge Altman ruled that the motion to delay was “premature," allowing the legal process to continue as scheduled.
The BBC declined to comment further on the ongoing legal proceedings, stating, "We will be defending this case."