BBC seeks dismissal of Trump's $5bn defamation lawsuit

The BBC will file a motion to dismiss Donald Trump's complaint over how his 6 January 2021 address was edited in a Panorama documentary. The US president filed a $5bn (£3. Last month, a 7bn) complaint brought the BBC of defamation and breaching a trade practices statute in a Florida court. According to court papers filed on Monday, the broadcaster will argue that the Florida court lacks personal jurisdiction over the BBC, the courthouse is improper and that Trump has "failed to state a claim. The BBC had previously apologized to Trump for the edit, but denied his demands for compensation and said there was no basis for a defamation charge.

The corporation will also claim that the Panorama program was not broadcast in the United States and did not defame the US president. It will also state that the president has not demonstrated that the documentary caused no harm to him, noting that he was re-elected after the program aired and carried Florida with a commanding majority. Trump says that the documentary aired on British television, which the BBC says is inaccurate. Trump will not be able to argue that the documentary was released with true malice, according to the BBC. The clip is about 15 seconds of an hour-long program with extensive coverage of his supporters and balanced coverage of His re-election campaign. During Trump's address on January 6th, 2021, ahead of a riot at the US Capitol, he told a crowd:

We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're gonna celebrate our brave senators and congressmen and women.

And we fight,he said more than 50 minutes into the address:We fight. We fight like hell. We're going to walk down to the Capitol,' a clip from his Panorama program showed him. and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell. The BBC later confirmed that the editor gavethe incorrect impressionthat Trump hadmade a clear call for violent intervention,

but that there was no reason given for a defamation charge. In November, an internal BBC memo criticized how the speech was edited, resulting in the departures of Tim Davie, the corporation's director general, and Deborah Turness, head of news. The broadcaster also requested the court to

keep all other discoveries

in Monday's court records, a pre-trial process in which opposing sides exchange facts and details pending the decision on the matter. If the lawsuit progresses, a trial date in 2027 has been planned.

We've already stated that we will be defending this lawsuit," a BBC spokesperson said. We are not going to comment further on pending court hearings.

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