Donald Trump's media corporation, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), has dropped its defamation claim against The Guardian and two other defendants. The withdrawal was filed without prejudice, meaning the lawsuit could potentially be refiled at a later date. Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC that will go to trial on February 15 next year. A judge rejected attempts by the BBC to dismiss the libel case and set the trial date.
The case against The Guardian originated from a March 2023 Guardian report that New York prosecutors had launched a criminal inquiry into $8 million in payments to TMTG from entities with ties to Vladimir Putin for possible money laundering. In November, a judge threw out most of the case against The Guardian, Penske Media Corporation, and Will Wilkerson, stating plaintiffs failed to prove actual malice. The judge allowed Trump's group to file an amended complaint, which they did in January. A hearing in the case had been set for Tuesday before TMTG's withdrawal.
They had me saying things that I never said, that were terrible. They put words in my mouth. Sentences and paragraphs so horrible.
No reason was given for the withdrawal. A lawyer for Trump said in April 2024 that The Guardian's reporting was false and a hoax, and litigation would continue. There is no suggestion TMTG or its executives knew of the nature or origin of the loans beyond their opacity, and they have not been accused of wrongdoing.
The BBC has urged a court to dismiss Donald Trump's multi-billion dollar lawsuit against it, arguing a Panorama episode never aired in the US. The BBC says the Panorama episode was not available in the US on iPlayer, online, or any streaming platforms. The BBC aired the programme on UK TV channels and iPlayer but did not publish it in the US, including Florida. The BBC says neither BBC nor BBC Studios has its principal place of business in Florida or is licensed to do business there.
They admitted they were guilty. That's how crooked they are.
Trump is suing for defamation over the Panorama edit, claiming it made it appear he directly encouraged supporters to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The BBC has previously apologized to Trump over the edit but rejected demands for compensation and disagreed there was a basis for defamation and trade practices claims.
Technical disputes have emerged over how the programme might have been accessed. Trump's lawsuit claimed people in Florida may have accessed the programme via VPN or BritBox, but the BBC argued this was incorrect. The BBC prohibits unauthorized use of VPNs to watch iPlayer from outside the UK and takes active steps to enforce this ban. Trump's lawsuit cited agreements with Blue Ant Media for distribution in North America, but Blue Ant said none of its buyers aired the documentary in the US and the international version did not include the edit in question.
CBS had to pay me $38 million for what they said. If you bring lawsuits against these guys, they are so corrupt that they will pay it.
The BBC is making multiple legal arguments for dismissal. The broadcaster reiterated there was no malice in the edit and Trump was not harmed, having been re-elected shortly after it aired. The BBC is arguing the lawsuit should be dismissed because Trump failed to state successful claims for defamation and there was a violation of a Florida unfair trade practices law.
Financial secrecy has become another point of contention in the BBC case. The BBC has been accused of being 'secretive' for refusing to reveal how much licence fee payer cash is being spent on fighting Trump's lawsuit. BBC lawyers have rejected bids to disclose the figure, arguing it would create an 'unnecessary distraction' and compromise their legal position.
Several key unknowns remain unresolved in these legal battles. The specific reason why Trump Media and Technology Group withdrew its defamation lawsuit against The Guardian without explanation has not been disclosed. The exact amount of licence fee payer money the BBC is spending to fight Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit remains undisclosed.
Further uncertainties extend to the factual claims at the heart of the disputes. Whether the Panorama edit in question was actually distributed or viewed in the United States remains unclear. The current status and details of the criminal inquiry by New York prosecutors into the $8 million payments to TMTG have not been publicly updated.