Florida Judge Allows Trump's $10B BBC Suit to Proceed to 2027 Trial

A federal judge in Florida has ruled that President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation can proceed to trial in February 2027, rejecting the broadcaster's request to delay pretrial proceedings.

Judge Roy K. Altman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida set the trial date for a two-week hearing beginning February 15 at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami. The decision came after the BBC sought to postpone the discovery phase, in which both sides exchange documents and evidence, pending its planned motion to dismiss the case. Altman deemed the request premature, noting that it was too early in the process for such a stay.

Trump filed the lawsuit in December, accusing the BBC of defamation and unfair trade practices related to its editing of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, at a rally near the White House. The address preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol by some of his supporters, as Congress prepared to certify Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election, which Trump claimed was stolen. The suit seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and another $5 billion for unfair...