At a Glance
- The BBC will ask a Florida court to throw out President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit.
- The suit centers on a BBC documentary that edited Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech, cutting his call for peaceful protest.
- BBC lawyers argue the court lacks jurisdiction and Trump failed to state a valid claim.
- Why it matters: The case could set precedent for how foreign media outlets are sued in U.S. courts.
The BBC is preparing to challenge President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over a documentary that edited his January 6, 2021 speech, court documents filed Monday reveal.
Trump filed the lawsuit in December, claiming the BBC defamed him and engaged in unfair trade practices by broadcasting a documentary that spliced together portions of his speech to supporters. The documentary, “Trump: A Second Chance?,” aired days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The Edited Speech
The BBC documentary combined three quotes from two sections of Trump’s speech, delivered nearly an hour apart, into what appeared to be a single quote. The edited version showed Trump urging supporters to march with him and “fight like hell,” but omitted his statement that he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
The speech took place before some of Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress prepared to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. Trump has falsely alleged the election was stolen from him.
BBC’s Defense Strategy
According to court papers filed with Florida’s Southern District court, the BBC will file a motion to dismiss the case on three grounds:
- The court lacks jurisdiction over the BBC
- The court venue is “improper”
- Trump has “failed to state a claim”
The broadcaster’s lawyers will argue the BBC did not create, produce, or broadcast the documentary in Florida. They will also contend Trump’s claim that the documentary was available in the U.S. via streaming service BritBox is false.
Additionally, the BBC will argue Trump has failed to “plausibly allege” the broadcaster acted with malice in airing the documentary.
Legal Proceedings
The BBC has asked the court to “stay all other discovery” pending a decision on the motion to dismiss. Discovery could require the BBC to hand over emails and documents related to its Trump coverage.
If the case proceeds, a 2027 trial date has been proposed.
“As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case,” the BBC said Tuesday in a statement. “We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
Fallout at the BBC
The controversy surrounding the documentary led to significant changes at the BBC. The broadcaster’s top executive and its head of news resigned following the furor over the editing.
Despite apologizing to Trump for the edit, the publicly funded BBC rejected claims it had defamed the former president.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and media organizations over coverage of his presidency and its aftermath. Emily Carter Reynolds reported the BBC’s motion to dismiss represents a significant challenge to Trump’s legal strategy in pursuing the massive damages claim.
