• The BBC filed a motion to dismiss Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit.
• The lawsuit stems from edits made to a speech Trump gave before the Capitol riot.
• The BBC argues the Florida court lacks jurisdiction and that Trump cannot prove damages.
• Trump's claims are based on alleged harm caused by the documentary's portrayal.
• Previously, the BBC issued an apology for the editing but denied a basis for defamation.

The BBC has filed a motion to dismiss U.S. President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit related to the editing of his January 6, 2021, speech, asserting that the Florida court lacks personal jurisdiction. Trump's lawsuit alleges that the BBC defamed him by splicing segments of his speech, thus making it seem he incited his supporters to storm the Capitol. The broadcaster's forthcoming legal argument is that the programme was not aired in Florida, and Trump has not provided sufficient proof of damages, considering his subsequent re-election. This assertion was upheld in filings regarding the case, according to BBC, Reuters, and Channel News Asia.

In the lawsuit, Trump is seeking damages exceeding $5 billion for each of the two counts of alleged defamation and violation of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The BBC's motion will argue that Trump cannot sustain a defamation claim as he has not shown any actual damages resulting from the documentary's presentation. The broadcaster acknowledged that an edited segment provided an impression of a direct call for violence, but they maintain that editing errors do not support a defamation case. This situation is supported by various remarks made in court filings, as noted by India Times and Reuters.

Moreover, the BBC has requested that the court stays any discovery phase until a decision is made regarding the motion to dismiss, arguing that moving forward with evidence gathering would impose undue burdens and costs. The broadcaster emphasized that allowing discovery to proceed while the dismissal motion is pending would only complicate the proceedings unnecessarily, as outlined in multiple filings related to the case according to BBC, Channel News Asia, and India Times.