The BBC is mounting a legal defence to have a colossal $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by former US President Donald Trump thrown out of court. The case centres on a controversial edit made to a Panorama documentary broadcast in 2024 concerning the Capitol riot.
Legal Grounds for Dismissal Outlined
According to court documents filed late on Monday, January 12, 2026, the British broadcaster will argue that the Florida court where the suit was lodged lacks "personal jurisdiction" over the BBC. The corporation contends the venue is "improper" and that President Trump has "failed to state a claim" upon which relief can be granted.
The BBC's position is that the documentary in question was neither created, produced, nor broadcast from Florida. This is despite Trump's legal team highlighting its availability on the streaming service BritBox in the United States. Furthermore, the BBC asserts that the former president has not plausibly alleged the broadcaster acted with "actual malice" – a necessary legal threshold for public officials pursuing defamation claims in the US.
The Controversial Edit and Fallout
The dispute originates from a Panorama episode that spliced segments of Trump's speech from January 6, 2021. The edit gave the impression he urged supporters to "walk down to the Capitol" and said, "we fight like hell." President Trump's lawyers claim this editing was "false and defamatory," and he is seeking up to $10 billion (£7.5 billion) in damages.
The fallout from the programme was significant within the BBC itself. The corporation previously apologised, admitting to an "error of judgement." The controversy led to the resignations of both Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, and Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News. When stepping down, Davie stated there had "been some mistakes made" and that he had to "take ultimate responsibility."
Next Steps and Accusations of Election Interference
In its filing, the BBC has asked the court to pause all pre-trial discovery processes until a decision is made on its motion to dismiss. Should the case proceed despite this challenge, a trial date in 2027 has been proposed.
A spokesperson for Trump's legal team framed the Panorama edit as a "brazen attempt" at interfering in a presidential election. They accused the BBC of a "long pattern of deceiving its audience" in coverage of Trump, driven by a "leftist political agenda." The spokesperson added that the lawsuit aims to hold the broadcaster accountable for "defamation and reckless election interference."
President Trump first signalled the legal action in December, stating from the Oval Office, "In a little while, you’ll be seeing I’m suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth. Literally, they put words in my mouth." The BBC, while apologising for the edit, maintains there is no legal basis for the financial claim.
