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 sought details to support Trump's claims of reputational and financial harm from a Panorama documentary about the Capitol riots.
The BBC had asked for records from the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust, which holds Trump's business interests, including income, assets and properties. Trump's lawyers, Brito PLLC, called the request 'disproportionate' and said it covered entities with no connection to the dispute, adding that the 30-day deadline for 'tens of thousands of documents' was unreasonable.
The documentary, broadcast in October 2024, spliced together two parts of a speech Trump made on 6 January 2021, making it appear he said 'we fight like hell' in one continuous statement. The BBC later apologised and withdrew the clip. Trump claims the programme damaged his brand and business.
The BBC has asked a US court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing it would have a 'chilling effect' on reporting and that the documentary was not shown in the US or Florida, so the court lacks jurisdiction. Trump's team has also sought to delay the case and change the judge. A spokesperson for Trump said the BBC 'intentionally and maliciously defamed' him and vowed to hold the broadcaster accountable.
