The BBC is seeking to have Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit thrown out, according to court documents.
The broadcaster previously vowed to defend the $10bn (£7.4bn) lawsuit filed in Florida last month over the editing of his January 6 speech in 2024 Panorama’s programme, ’Trump: A Second Chance?’, which it is alleged gave the impression he encouraged supporters to storm the Capitol building.
Court documents show the BBC will file a motion to dismiss the lawsuits, claiming the Florida court lacks “personal jurisdiction” over the organisation, that the court venue is “improper”, and that Trump has “failed to state a claim”.
It has asked the court to effectively stop parties from gathering evidence, pending the decision on the motion.
The corporation will argue it did not create, produce or broadcast the documentary in Florida and that the claim it was available in the US on streaming service BritBox is not true.
It will also claim the president has failed to “plausibly allege” the broadcaster published the documentary with “actual malice”.
Lawyers for the BBC said: “The plaintiff will seek broad, objectionable discovery on the merits, implicating the BBC’s entire scope of coverage of Donald J Trump over the past decade or more and claiming injury to his entire business and political profiles.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
Trump’s legal team has accused the BBC of “a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the election’s outcome to president Trump’s detriment” and of “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring” the speech to portray him in a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious” manner.
The team is seeking damages of $5bn (£3.7bn) under a defamation lawsuit and $5bn for alleged violation of a trade practices law.
BBC chair Samir Shah wrote to the White House in November to apologise and confirm the corporation has no plans to rebroadcast the film, which aired in October 2024.
This story first appeared on Screen’s sister site Broadcast
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