Donald Trump-Appointed Judge Now Oversees President’s $10B BBC Case

A Donald Trump-nominated judge has now taken the bench in the U.S. president’s staggering $10 billion defamation case against the BBC.

Judge Jeffrey Kuntz took the position in April and has now replaced another Trump nominee, Judge Roy Altman, in the case.

For now, it is unclear why the case was transferred, but it is one of 17 cases assigned to Kuntz following his appointment to the federal bench.

Trump’s legal feud with the BBC has taken a major twist, with a switch in judges handling the matter.

Judge Roy Altman handled the case since it was filed in a Florida court in December. Now, Judge Jeffrey Kuntz, whom Trump called “tough and smart” following his appointment to the federal bench in April, has come in to replace Altman.

Both judges are Trump appointees, but Kuntz previously handled another defamation case the president brought early last year against the Pulitzer Prize board. In that case, he was one of three judges who ruled for Trump, allowing the matter to continue.

Kuntz has yet to comment on his transfer to the BBC case, and it remains to be seen whether his appointment will delay the proposed February 2027 trial date.

Everything You Need To Know About Trump’s $10B BBC Battle

Trump’s fight with the BBC is centered on a Panorama episode aired in October 2024 that edited together parts of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech.

He accused the outlet of broadcasting a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction” of himself. He also claimed that it was a “brazen attempt” by the BBC to interfere in the 2024 election.

In response to Trump’s filing, the BBC issued an apology, calling the editing an “error of judgment.” However, the outlet maintains that the editing does not justify Trump’s defamation claim and that he has no grounds to support his allegations.

Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages, split evenly between his defamation claims and the alleged trade-practice violations outlined in the lawsuit.

Trump Scores Last-Minute Reprieve To Keep Records Under Wraps

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Amid the suit, the BBC had sought disclosure of Trump’s financial records and information about the ownership of his businesses in response to the president’s claims that the BBC’s Panorama episode had affected his ventures.

Trump, however, challenged the disclosure request and earlier this month won a last-minute emergency stay. That prevented him from having to turn over records for roughly 400 corporate entities ahead of a deadline.

Despite the win, the court must decide whether the BBC should have access to those records as part of its defense in Trump’s suit.

Trump’s Lawyers Blast BBC Over Request For Financial Information

In response to the BBC’s request for Trump to hand over details of his finances and businesses, the real estate mogul’s lawyers argued that the harm caused by such a disclosure would be “immediate and irreversible.” They also claimed that the BBC’s request was “based on clearly political motivations.”

In the filing, Trump’s attorneys wrote that they had moved for leave to file a First Amended Complaint to update the damages claims made by the U.S. president. The updated complaint will focus only on the personal damage to Trump’s reputation as the main injury, which they believe will nullify the BBC’s “improperly broad” subpoena for Trump’s financial and business records.

Trump Slams BBC Over Subpoenas Targeting His Family

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The BBC recently attempted to serve subpoenas on the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, claiming that they had “personal knowledge” of Trump’s intention to deliver the speech. The outlet also noted that this knowledge makes their testimony relevant to the case.

The subpoenas were ultimately not served in person because Secret Service agents intervened, leading the BBC to request permission to serve them via email and certified mail.

The legal move by the outlet was recently criticized by a spokesman for Trump’s legal team, who claimed that the BBC is “seeking to harass” Trump, “his family, and supporters by abusing the deposition process.”

“The BBC is simply trying to distract away from their own obvious liability,” the individual also remarked.