International Desk
Jan 13, 2026: The BBC is preparing to formally challenge a defamation lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump, seeking to have the case thrown out at an early stage.
The legal action stems from a Panorama documentary that included an edited segment of Trump’s speech delivered on January 6, 2021.
Trump filed the $5 billion lawsuit in a Florida court last month, accusing the British broadcaster of damaging his reputation and breaching trade practices laws through the way his remarks were presented.
However, court filings submitted this week indicate that the BBC plans to argue the Florida court does not have the authority to hear the case and that the venue itself is inappropriate.
According to the filings, the broadcaster will also contend that the lawsuit does not meet the legal threshold required to proceed. The BBC maintains that the documentary was not broadcast within the United States and therefore could not have defamed the president under US law.
While the BBC has previously acknowledged that an edited clip in the programme created a misleading impression, it has rejected Trump’s demand for financial compensation and continues to deny that the issue amounts to defamation.
The corporation has argued that Trump has failed to show that the documentary caused him measurable harm, noting that he later won re-election and secured a decisive victory in Florida.
Trump has alleged that the programme was distributed in the US through the streaming service BritBox, a claim the BBC disputes.
The broadcaster also asserts that the lawsuit fails to demonstrate “actual malice,” a key legal standard required in defamation cases involving public figures.
The disputed edit involved combining two separate parts of Trump’s January 6 speech into a single sequence. In reality, the remarks urging supporters to walk to the Capitol and later comments using the phrase “fight like hell” were delivered nearly an hour apart.
The BBC has said the edit unintentionally suggested a direct call for violence, an interpretation it has since acknowledged as inaccurate.
The controversy led to internal criticism within the BBC after a leaked memo questioned editorial decisions surrounding the documentary. The fallout reportedly contributed to the resignations of senior executives, including the director general and the head of news.
In its latest court submission, the BBC has also requested a pause on evidence-sharing procedures until the dismissal motion is resolved. If the case moves forward, court documents suggest a trial could take place as late as 2027.
A BBC spokesperson reiterated that the organisation intends to defend itself but declined to comment further due to the ongoing legal process.
No comments: