The BBC is preparing to ask a U.S. court to throw out President Donald Trump’s sweeping defamation lawsuit, arguing that the case never belonged there in the first place.
Court filings released late Monday indicate the British broadcaster will seek dismissal of Trump’s claim, which demands up to $10 billion over the editing of a documentary segment featuring his January 6, 2021 speech. The BBC maintains that a Florida court lacks the authority to hear the case, as the programme was neither produced nor broadcast in the state.
The lawsuit centres on edited clips aired in a Panorama documentary that stitched together parts of Trump’s speech, including his call for supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol and the phrase “fight like hell.” Trump argues that the edits stripped away a key passage in which he urged peaceful protest, creating a misleading impression that he encouraged violence.
While the BBC has acknowledged the edit and issued an apology, it has made clear it intends to contest the lawsuit. In its filing, the broadcaster argues that Trump cannot мать a credible claim of harm, pointing out that he won re-election after the documentary aired. Without demonstrable damage, the BBC says, the case collapses.
The broadcaster also disputes claims that the documentary was available to U.S. viewers through the BritBox streaming service, a key assertion in Trump’s complaint. According to the BBC, the programme was not accessible in the United States in the manner alleged.
Trump’s lawsuit relies on a Florida statute that prohibits deceptive and unfair trade practices, seeking at least $5 billion in damages for each of two claims. The BBC counters that the complaint fails to meet the high bar required to show deliberate wrongdoing, describing Trump’s allegations of harm as vague and unsupported.
In addition to seeking dismissal, the BBC has asked the court to pause the evidence-gathering phase of the case while its motion is considered. Allowing that process to move forward now, the broadcaster argues, would impose heavy and unnecessary costs if the case is ultimately tossed out.
The court is expected to hear the BBC’s request after the filing deadline set for mid-March. Until then, the high-stakes legal clash between the U.S. president and Britain’s public broadcaster remains in limbo.
