Mr Trump is seeking at least $5 billion for defamation and at least $5bn under the state law, alleging the BBC edited footage of his January 6, 2021 speech to make it appear he urged supporters to use violence before they stormed the US Capitol.

Judge Jeffrey T Kuntz said Mr Trump would have to prove his claims and show he suffered damages at a later stage. He wrote: “Given the time disparity between the two statements, the distance itself tends toward a plausible inference that BBC knew or should have known that the segment they were creating would not and could not have been a truthful statement.

“This was not trimming around the edges but creating something different than what was stated in the speech.”

The BBC apologised for the Panorama programme but has denied defamation. It combined Mr Trump’s remark, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol … and I’ll be there with you”, with a later line: “And we fight, we fight like hell.”

Mr Trump called the decision a “Huge Victory against Fake News BBC” and wrote on Truth Social: “We will continue fighting against, and defeating, all of those who try to deceive the American People!”

Mr Trump has been ordered to give a deposition by December 11. The court said he could face sanctions, including dismissal of the lawsuit, if he fails to attend.