The BBC is gearing up for a major legal battle, announcing it will seek the dismissal of a $10 billion lawsuit filed by former US President Donald Trump. The case centres on a controversial episode of the broadcaster's flagship Panorama documentary series.
The Core of Trump's Legal Complaint
Trump filed a 33-page complaint in a Florida court on Monday, accusing the BBC of presenting a "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory and malicious depiction" of him. The programme in question, Trump: A Second Chance?, was broadcast ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.
The lawsuit alleges the documentary spliced two sections of his January 6 speech, creating the misleading impression he directly incited violence. Trump's legal team claims this edit caused "massive economic damage to his brand value" and violated Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The BBC's Defence Strategy
The Corporation's legal response will be twofold. Firstly, it is expected to argue that it did not possess the rights to broadcast the documentary in the United States. Audiences there could not access it via BBC iPlayer, its primary streaming platform.
Secondly, the BBC will contend that Trump could not have suffered serious reputational harm given that he won the 2024 presidential election, even increasing his vote share in Florida. This move to have the case thrown out early is seen as an attempt to avoid escalating litigation costs.
While Trump's suit suggests some US viewers may have seen it via VPNs or the BritBox service, the BBC has not directly addressed these claims. A spokesperson for Blue Ant Media, which distributed an international version, stated its cut did not include the contentious edit and that none of its US buyers aired the episode.
Broader Repercussions for the BBC
The lawsuit arrives at a sensitive time for the broadcaster. It is currently searching for a new Director General following the resignations of Tim Davie and head of BBC News Deborah Turness, partly in the fallout from the Panorama edit scandal.
Furthermore, the government has begun the process of renewing the BBC's charter, which will involve a fundamental re-examination of its funding model. The legal action has drawn political figures into the fray, with Labour's Stephen Kinnock urging the BBC to "stand firm" and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey pressing Prime Minister Keir Starmer to use his relationship with Trump to dissuade him.
Internally, BBC Chair Samir Shah and the board are closely involved with the legal strategy, guided by the corporation's in-house legal team. Shah has previously apologised to Trump for the edit, which the BBC admitted gave a "mistaken impression", but lawyers maintain it did not amount to defamation.
Media lawyer Mark Stephens called the claim "meritless", suggesting Trump's motives were political rather than financial. The BBC is now poised to file motions to dismiss, setting the stage for a high-profile transatlantic legal dispute.
