BBC Moves to Dismiss Trump’s $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit

By Staff, Agencies

The BBC is preparing to ask a US court to throw out President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit, which accuses the British broadcaster of defamation over the editing of a program related to his January 6, 2021 speech.

In a court filing late Monday, the BBC said it will seek dismissal on the grounds that a Florida court lacks personal jurisdiction, arguing that the program in question was not broadcast in Florida. The broadcaster also contended that Trump cannot demonstrate damages, noting that he was re-elected after the documentary aired.

Trump has claimed that the BBC defamed him by editing portions of a speech in a way that suggested he urged supporters to storm the US Capitol. The edited segment combined remarks in which he told supporters to march on the Capitol and said “fight like hell,” while omitting a passage calling for peaceful protest.

The lawsuit alleges that the BBC violated a Florida law prohibiting deceptive and unfair trade practices. Trump is seeking at least $5 billion in damages for each of the two counts included in the complaint.

The BBC has acknowledged and apologized for the editing used in its Panorama documentary but has said it intends to vigorously defend itself in court.

In its filing, the broadcaster argued that Trump failed to plausibly show the program was produced with “actual malice,” a key legal standard in US defamation cases involving public figures. The BBC also asked the court to pause discovery—the phase in which both sides exchange evidence—while the motion to dismiss is under consideration.

Allowing broad discovery at this stage, the BBC argued, would impose significant and unnecessary costs if the case is ultimately dismissed.

The filing further stated that Trump did not adequately plead actual damages, instead alleging only vague harm to his professional and occupational interests.

The BBC is funded through a mandatory license fee paid by households that watch television in the United Kingdom.