Former US President Donald Trump has initiated a high-stakes legal battle against the British Broadcasting Corporation, filing a lawsuit that seeks damages of up to 10 billion dollars (£7.5 billion). The claim centres on an edited clip of a speech he gave before the 2021 Capitol attack, which featured in a Panorama documentary.
The Core of the Legal Dispute
Trump's legal team, who filed the complaint at the US district court for the southern district of Florida on Tuesday 16 December 2025, argues the broadcast was "false and defamatory". They allege the BBC "intentionally and maliciously" sought to mislead its global audience. The contentious edit, aired just a week before the 2024 US election results, spliced parts of Mr Trump's 6 January 2021 speech to present him saying: "We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell."
The lawsuit pursues $5 billion (£3.7 billion) across two counts: one for defamation and another for an alleged violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Defendants named include the BBC, BBC Studios Distribution, and BBC Studios Production.
Jurisdiction and the BBC's Defence
A significant point of contention is whether a Florida court has authority to judge a programme not broadcast in the United States. The BBC's iPlayer service geo-blocks the content. However, Trump's complaint contends the Panorama documentary was accessible via the BritBox streaming service and claims "millions of Florida citizens" could use VPNs to view it. It also alleges Canadian firm Blue Ant Media, which had non-UK licensing rights, distributed it in North America, including Florida.
The BBC has stated it will defend the case, with a spokesperson noting, "We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings." Legal expert Iain Wilson of Brett Wilson LLP suggested the broadcaster might file an early motion to dismiss, arguing the weak connection to Florida. "Trump’s team has sought to pre-empt this... This seems a relatively weak argument," he told the Press Association.
Fallout and Historical Context
The scandal first erupted earlier in 2025 following a leaked memo from former BBC adviser Michael Prescott, which raised editorial concerns. After the leak, Trump threatened legal action, and lawyer Alejandro Brito demanded retractions. At a Washington press conference on Monday, Trump declared, "I’m suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth literally."
The internal fallout at the BBC was substantial. Chairman Samir Shah apologised for an "error of judgment," conceding the edit gave "the impression of a direct call for violent action." This led to the resignations of both director-general Tim Davie and head of BBC News Deborah Turness. The BBC's lawyers previously argued to Trump's team that there was "no malice in the edit" and that he was not harmed as he was re-elected post-broadcast.
This case adds to Donald Trump's history of litigating against media organisations, with ongoing actions against outlets like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. The lawsuit reiterates claims of "actual malice," citing comments from UK figures including Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and former prime minister Liz Truss.
