At a Glance
- The BBC will ask a Florida court to dismiss former President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation and unfair-trade-practices suit.
- The broadcaster already apologized for editing Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 speech, but denies defaming him.
- BBC lawyers say the court lacks jurisdiction, the venue is improper, and Trump failed to state a valid claim.
- Why it matters: The outcome could set precedent for how foreign media are sued in U.S. courts and what edits amount to defamation.
The BBC is moving to toss out the $10 billion lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump over a documentary that edited his Jan. 6, 2021 speech, court filings show.
The Edit That Sparked the Suit
Trump sued in December after the BBC broadcast “Trump: A Second Chance?” days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The program stitched together three quotes from two sections of the speech-delivered almost an hour apart-into what looked like a single line urging supporters to march and “fight like hell.” Left on the cutting-room floor was Trump’s call to demonstrate peacefully.
The former president seeks $5 billion for defamation and another $5 billion for alleged unfair trade practices.
BBC’s Three-Pronged Defense
Papers filed Monday in Florida’s Southern District lay out the BBC’s dismissal strategy:
- No jurisdiction: The BBC will argue it did not create, produce or air the documentary in Florida.
- Wrong venue: The broadcaster calls the Florida court “improper” for this dispute.
- Failure to state a claim: BBC lawyers contend Trump has not “plausibly alleged” malice on the broadcaster’s part.
The motion also disputes Trump’s claim that the documentary streamed in the U.S. on BritBox.
Fallout Inside the BBC
The controversy has already cost two top executives their jobs. Both the BBC’s director-general and its head of news resigned after the furor erupted, even though the broadcaster has formally apologized to Trump while rejecting defamation allegations.
Next Steps
The BBC wants the court to halt all discovery-the pretrial exchange of emails and other documents-until the dismissal motion is decided. If the case survives, the parties have floated a 2027 trial date.
“We are defending this case,” the BBC said Tuesday. “We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
Timeline of Key Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan. 6, 2021 | Trump delivers speech before Capitol breach |
| Days before Nov. 2024 election | BBC airs edited documentary |
| December 2024 | Trump files $10 billion lawsuit in Florida |
| Monday | BBC files motion to dismiss |
Key Takeaways
- The BBC’s motion centers on jurisdictional and procedural hurdles, not the merits of the edit itself.
- A dismissal would shield the BBC from expansive U.S. discovery and potential damages.
- If the case proceeds, it could test how aggressively U.S. courts police foreign media edits involving American political figures.
