newly filed documents show. Trump filed the suit last year over a BBC documentary that edited his January 6, 2021 speech to suggest he urged supporters to attack the Capitol during the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. Trump seeks damages of at least $5 billion for each of two counts—defamation and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

BBC lawyers in Miami filed papers on Monday saying they will move to dismiss the complaint due to lack of personal jurisdiction. They contend Trump cannot prove the documentary, which aired before the 2024 US election but outside the United States, caused any cognizable injury to him. The filings note Trump claimed only vague harm to his professional interests and that he would be unable to prove actual damages. The papers assert Trump won reelection in November 2024, including a strong Florida result (he carried the state by 13 percentage points), suggesting the documentary did not affect the outcome in his favor.

Trump characterized the edited interview as “fabricated” and charged the BBC with a brazen attempt to influence the 2024 election to his detriment. This move is part of a broader pattern of legal actions Trump has pursued against media entities, some resulting in multi-million-dollar settlements. The BBC has denied defamation and unfair trade practices claims. BBC chair Samir Shah previously apologized to Trump, and BBC director-general Tim Davie and top news executive Deborah Turness resigned in the wake of the controversy. The BBC confirmed it will defend the case and did not offer further comment on ongoing proceedings. (Bssnews)