Former US President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit worth $10 billion against the BBC is scheduled for trial in the coming year, as confirmed by court documents from the US District Court Southern District of Florida. Judge Roy K Altman dismissed the broadcaster’s attempts to have the libel case thrown out and set a trial date for February 15 next year. The lawsuit stems from a Panorama episode aired in 2024, where it appeared that Trump was seen encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol building in 2021.
The contentious episode featured a manipulated clip from Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021, where he was portrayed as saying, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.” However, the edit omitted the part where he urged for a peaceful march.
The fallout from the episode led to the resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness. Davie acknowledged “mistakes made” and took responsibility before stepping down from his position.
Trump’s legal team is pursuing damages of up to $10 billion, arguing that the edited content was “false and defamatory.” The BBC’s attempts to dismiss the case were based on claims that the Florida court lacked jurisdiction over the corporation, the chosen venue was improper, and Trump’s claims were inadequately supported, according to court filings.
The BBC contended that they were not involved in the creation, production, or broadcasting of the documentary in Florida. Additionally, they refuted Trump’s assertion that the documentary was accessible in the US through the BritBox streaming service.
Amidst the legal battle, there have been calls for opposition leader Keir Starmer to support the BBC against Trump’s legal actions, as the former President has initiated lawsuits against various media outlets including ABC, CBS, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
A spokesperson for the BBC reiterated their stance on the matter, stating, “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”