President Donald Trump got a welcome break this week in one of his battles with the media — but for the moment, only a temporary one. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
A federal judge in Florida on Thursday granted the president a temporary reprieve from an order that he begin divulging details of his business empire's financial performance. This is related to his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman agreed to put that order on hold while he considers an amended complaint from Trump that would narrow his claim that he suffered damage to both business and reputation. By focusing only on the latter, Trump's lawyers hope to avoid the need for the financial disclosures. That updated complaint has not been made public.
Trump filed the lawsuit in December over the way the British broadcaster, in a 2024 documentary, edited a speech he gave on Jan. 6, 2021, before protesters attacked the Capitol in Washington. It is one of many actions he has taken in his second term against media coverage that displeases him.
Trump contends that the BBC's editing was misleading because it cut out, among other parts, a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully. The claim seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices.
The publicly funded broadcaster has apologized to Trump over the edit but rejects claims it defamed him. The furor produced the resignations of the BBC's top executive and its head of news.
In Thursday's order, Altman said he found "compelling" Trump's argument that an amended complaint might remove the need for financial disclosures. Under the order from a Miami-based magistrate judge, Enjoliqué Lett, Trump had been required to start releasing financial records by Thursday from businesses held by his family trust.
"If the plaintiff's amendment obviates the need to compel a non-party to disclose confidential financial information," wrote Altman, "we think it's prudent to enter a brief stay of the Order until the amendment request is resolved."
Seth Stern, advocacy director at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, notes that the president can simply drop the lawsuit if the BBC proves successful in arguing that disclosure of financial data is also relevant to reputational harm.
"Trump has a history of filing lawsuits and then just dismissing them before they get to discovery," Stern said.