BBC files to dismiss Trump's $10bn lawsuit over January 6 clip editing
The BBC is seeking to have President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the corporation thrown out of court
The BBC is seeking to have President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the corporation thrown out of court, new documents show.
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The BBC will file a motion to dismiss, claiming the Florida court lacks "personal jurisdiction" over them, the court venue is "improper" and that Mr Trump has "failed to state a claim", documents filed late on Monday evening UK time revealed.
The broadcaster is facing legal proceedings launched by the President after admitting that edited footage of his January 6, 2021, speech made it appear as though he encouraged the subsequent Capitol riot.
The footage was spliced together and appeared on a 2024 edition of Panorama, before Mr Trump won re-election later that year.
Mr Trump is seeking up to $10billion (£7.5 billion) in damages in response to the editing of the speech, with his lawyers claiming it was "false and defamatory".
In the clip, two moments from the President's speech were combined, making it appear he was telling his supporters he was going to the Capitol building with them to "fight like hell".
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In reality, the President said he was going to walk with his supporters "to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard".
According to the documents, the corporation will argue that it did not create, produce or broadcast the documentary in Florida and that Mr Trump's claim that the documentary was available in the US on streaming service BritBox is not true.
It will also claim the president has failed to "plausibly allege" the BBC published the documentary with "actual malice", which public officials are required to show when filing suit for defamation in the US.
The broadcaster has asked the court "to stay all other discovery" - the pre-trial process in which parties gather information - pending the decision on the motion.
A 2027 trial date has been proposed should the case continue.
The BBC has been approached for comment.
The legal action, filed in the Southern District of Florida, contains one count of defamation and one count of violation a Florida trade practices law.
The President's legal team are demanding $5 billion (£4.39 billion) in damages for each count.
He claimed without basis that the BBC used "AI or something" to "put words in his mouth".
Trump's lawyers wrote on November 6: "Due to their salacious nature, the fabricated statements that were aired by the BBC have been widely disseminated throughout various digital mediums, which have reached tens of millions of people worldwide.”