US President Donald Trump has described a federal court ruling as a huge victory against the BBC, after a judge in Florida refused to dismiss his $10 billion defamation lawsuit over the editing of a speech in a Panorama documentary.
District Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz of the Southern District of Florida ruled on Tuesday that Trump’s main claim could go forward. He found that the president had plausibly alleged that the broadcaster acted with actual malice by splicing together sections of a speech given on 6 January 2021. The ruling dismissed a separate claim under Florida’s unfair trade practices law.
In his order, Judge Kuntz wrote: “Here, the news entity created the story. BBC admitted as much by confirming it had edited a video to make it appear as though President Trump made a statement he never made.”
He added that the editing “was not trimming around the edges but creating something different than what was stated in the speech.” The segments combined were nearly 55 minutes apart in the original address, in which Trump told supporters to march “peacefully and patriotically.”
The documentary, titled Trump: A Second Chance, aired on 28 October 2024, a week before the presidential election. The BBC has previously apologised for the edit, stating that it gave the mistaken impression that Trump had made a direct call for violent action. Senior executives resigned amid the controversy.
Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, writing: “A Huge Victory against Fake News BBC, a terrible abuser of the truth, just handed down by highly respected District Court Judge, Jeffrey T. Kuntz, of the Southern District of Florida.” He continued: “We will continue fighting against, and defeating, all of those who try to deceive the American People!”
A BBC spokesperson said: “We are surprised by this decision but respect the Court’s authority and note the case will now proceed to the next stage. We remain confident in our position and will continue to respond through the proper legal process.”
The case is expected to move to the next stages, with the BBC required to file an answer. Trump must still prove actual malice and damages at summary judgment or trial. The documentary was not broadcast in Florida, which may affect the assessment of harm.
Judge Kuntz was appointed to the federal bench by Trump earlier in 2026.
By John James
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