BBC Demands Dismissal of Trump’s $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit
LONDON – The BBC has moved to have a $10 billion lawsuit filed by former U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed, arguing a Florida court lacks jurisdiction and that Trump cannot demonstrate intentional misrepresentation. The legal battle stems from a documentary aired days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Trump initially filed the suit in December, alleging defamation and unfair trade practices over the BBC’s editing of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, during the Capitol riots. He seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and an additional $5 billion for unfair trade practices.
The core of the dispute lies in how the BBC documentary, “Trump: A Second Chance?”, presented excerpts from Trump’s January 6th speech. The program spliced together quotes, creating the impression that Trump explicitly encouraged supporters to storm the Capitol building, omitting a portion where he called for peaceful demonstration.
In a motion filed Monday, the BBC stated the documentary was never broadcast in Florida or anywhere else in the United States, therefore the Florida court has no authority over the case. The BBC further contends that Trump has failed to provide evidence of a deliberate attempt to misrepresent his words. A 34-page document submitted by the broadcaster asserts Trump “failed to plausibly allege facts showing that defendants knowingly intended to create a false impression,” and that his case “falls well short of the high bar of actual malice.”
A Florida judge had provisionally scheduled a trial for February 2027, but the BBC is now seeking to halt the proceedings altogether.
The controversy surrounding the documentary led to the resignations of the BBC’s top executive and head of news last year. The BBC’s chairman previously apologized to Trump for the edit, acknowledging it created “the impression of a direct call for violent action,” but maintained the broadcaster did not defame him.
Trump, who is again running for president, has consistently denied wrongdoing related to the events of January 6, 2021. The BBC’s move to dismiss the lawsuit marks the latest development in a continuing legal saga with significant implications for media freedom and the standards of political reporting.