President Donald Trump secured a legal victory when a district judge approved his request to amend his lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The lawsuit, filed in December, accuses the BBC of defamation and violating Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, asking for $5 billion for each claim, amounting to $10 billion in total.
Judge’s Decision
Trump’s legal team sought permission to revise the original complaint. The BBC argued Trump missed the deadline and engaged in tactical legal maneuvers to avoid financial disclosures. However, United States District Judge Roy K. Altman ruled in favor of Trump. He allowed Trump to file an amended complaint and deemed the BBC’s previous motion to dismiss as irrelevant.
Allegations Against BBC
Trump’s lawsuit stems from a BBC documentary entitled “Trump: A Second Chance?” The documentary allegedly edited his speech on January 6, making it seem like he urged supporters to “fight like hell” just before the Capitol riot. A whistleblower dossier, prepared by Michael Prescott, a communication advisor for the BBC, alleged that the network stitched two separate remarks made by Trump, misrepresenting his intent.
“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol. And I’ll be there with you. And we fight — we fight like hell,” the documentary showed Trump saying, without noting that the statement had been edited.
The actual speech included Trump encouraging to “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women,” without immediate calls to action. Trump’s comment to “fight like hell” occurred almost an hour later, focusing on election integrity.
The controversy surrounding the documentary led to the resignations of BBC CEO Deborah Turness and Director-General Tim Davie.
Next Steps
Trump is required to submit the newly amended complaint by Monday. He intends to highlight personal reputational damage, continuing to seek $10 billion in damages. The BBC may respond by filing a motion to dismiss the updated allegations.
Brian Flood, a media editor and reporter for FOX News Digital, contributed to this report. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter: @briansflood.