The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has filed court documents indicating it will seek to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump, alleging defamation and unfair trade practices stemming from the editing of his January 6, 2021, speech in a 2024 documentary. Papers lodged on Monday, January 12, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami outline the broadcaster's plan to file a formal motion to dismiss by March 17, 2026, primarily on grounds of lack of personal jurisdiction and failure to state a valid claim.
Trump initiated the lawsuit in December 2025, demanding $5 billion in damages for defamation and another $5 billion for alleged violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The suit targets the BBC, along with subsidiaries BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. and BBC Studios Productions Ltd., over a Panorama documentary titled "Trump: A Second Chance?" that aired in the United Kingdom days before the November 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The controversy centers on the program's use of edited clips from Trump's rally speech on January 6, 2021, delivered near the White House before a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol during the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Trump has long maintained the election was stolen, a claim rejected by courts, audits, and independent reviews. In the speech, Trump urged supporters to march to the Capitol, saying phrases like "We're going to walk down to the Capitol" and "fight like hell." The documentary spliced together three quotes from separate sections—delivered nearly an hour apart—creating the impression of a continuous call to action that omitted context, including Trump's statement encouraging peaceful demonstration.
The BBC previously acknowledged the edit as an "error of judgment" in November 2025, issuing a formal apology via a letter from Chair Samir Shah to the White House and confirming no plans to rebroadcast the program. Despite the regret, the corporation has consistently rejected defamation claims, asserting the edit did not meet the legal threshold for malice required in U.S. defamation cases involving public figures.
The scandal triggered significant internal fallout at the BBC, leading to the resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and CEO of BBC News Deborah Turness in November 2025 amid criticism over editorial standards and perceived bias in coverage of Trump and U.S. politics.
In the latest filing, BBC attorney Charles Tobin argues the Florida court lacks personal jurisdiction because the documentary was neither created, produced, nor broadcast in Florida—or anywhere in the United States. The suit's claim that the program was accessible via the streaming service BritBox in the U.S. is disputed as inaccurate. The motion will also contend that Trump has failed to plausibly allege "actual malice"—knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth—essential for public-figure defamation under New York Times v. Sullivan standards.
Tobin further asserts Trump cannot prove cognizable damages. He notes the president won re-election in 2024 by a commanding margin, including a 13-point victory in Florida—stronger than his 2016 and 2020 performances. Additionally, the documentary aired after Trump faced federal indictments related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including allegations he directed crowds toward the Capitol, potentially undermining claims of reputational harm from the BBC's portrayal.
The BBC has requested the court stay all merits-based discovery— the pretrial exchange of documents, emails, and other materials—pending resolution of the dismissal motion. "Engaging in unbounded merits-based discovery while the motion to dismiss is pending will subject defendants to considerable burdens and costs that will be unnecessary if the motion is granted," Tobin wrote in the filing.
Should the case proceed beyond dismissal, a proposed trial date in 2027 has been floated.
The BBC issued a brief statement on Tuesday, January 13, 2026: "As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings."
This legal battle represents an unusual international clash, with a sitting U.S. president suing a foreign publicly funded broadcaster. Trump's lawsuit accuses the BBC of a "brazen attempt to interfere in and influence" the 2024 election outcome through deceptive editing. Legal experts have noted challenges in establishing U.S. jurisdiction over a UK-based entity whose content did not air domestically, and proving actual malice or quantifiable harm given Trump's electoral success.
The dispute has reignited debates over media accountability, editorial practices in political coverage, and the application of U.S. defamation law to international outlets. It also highlights tensions in transatlantic relations amid Trump's second term.
As the March 17 deadline approaches, the case could set precedents for cross-border media litigation and the protection of journalistic editing in high-stakes political contexts.
