Donald Trump's legal team has rejected a request by the BBC to provide financial information as part of his $10bn (£7.8bn) defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster. The US president's lawyers accused the BBC of a 'fishing expedition' after it sought evidence to support Trump's claims of reputational and financial harm from a Panorama documentary.
The documentary, broadcast in October 2024, focused on the US Capitol riots and spliced together two parts of a speech Trump gave on 6 January 2021. The BBC later apologised and retracted the programme. Trump alleges the BBC 'intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctored' his words.
In court filings in Miami, the BBC requested financial records from the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust, which holds Trump's business interests. Lawyers asked for documents showing income, assets, and properties, listing hundreds of companies under the trust. Trump's lawyers called the request 'disproportionate' and 'improper', arguing it would require 'tens of thousands of documents' within 30 days.
Filings show Trump's team has made 503 document requests, with the BBC turning over 45,000 pages. Trump has produced none. The BBC has asked the US court to dismiss the case, arguing it has no jurisdiction as the programme was not broadcast in the US or Florida, and that the lawsuit would have a 'chilling effect' on reporting. The dismissal claim is ongoing.
A spokesperson for Trump's legal team told the Financial Times: 'The BBC intentionally and maliciously defamed President Trump by distorting and manipulating his speech. No amount of attempted legal manoeuvres can change that fact. President Trump will continue to hold accountable the BBC and all those who traffick in fake news.'
