Donald Trump's legal team has rejected a request by the BBC to provide financial information as part of his $10bn defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster. The US president's lawyers accused the BBC of a 'fishing expedition' after it asked for details to support Trump's claims of reputational and financial harm from a Panorama documentary on the Capitol riots.
The BBC had requested financial papers from the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust, which holds Trump's business interests and assets, including records of income, assets, and properties. Trump's Florida-based lawyers, Brito PLLC, described the request as 'disproportionate' and covering entities with no connection to the dispute, adding that producing 'tens of thousands of documents' within 30 days was 'unreasonable and improper'.
The lawsuit stems from a Panorama documentary broadcast in October 2024, which spliced together two parts of a speech Trump made on 6 January 2021, before the Capitol unrest. The BBC later retracted the clip and apologised, stating it would not be shown again. Trump's lawyers argue the documentary caused 'direct harm' to his 'brand, properties and business'.
In March, the BBC asked a US court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing it would have a 'chilling effect' on reporting and that the court lacked jurisdiction as the documentary was not broadcast in the US or Florida. The dismissal claim is ongoing. Trump's team has also sought to delay the case and requested a change of judge.
A spokesperson for Trump's legal team told the Financial Times that the BBC had 'intentionally and maliciously defamed' the president by distorting his speech, adding: 'President Trump will continue to hold accountable the BBC and all those who traffick in fake news.'
