The BBC has announced plans to seek the dismissal of a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump. The lawsuit stems from a 2024 documentary that edited parts of Trump’s speech from January 6, 2021, the day of the U.S. Capitol riots. According to a court document submitted on December 18, 2023, the BBC contends that the court lacks jurisdiction and that Trump’s claims of damages are unfounded.
Trump’s legal team lodged the suit in the Southern District of Florida last month. It includes allegations of defamation and a violation of Florida trade practices law, with the former president seeking $5 billion in damages for each count. The complaint accuses the BBC of presenting “a false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction” of Trump in the documentary aired on its program, Panorama, just a week prior to the upcoming U.S. election.
Details of the Documentary and Lawsuit Claims
The documentary focused on Trump’s conduct leading up to the January 6 events, particularly his remarks made to supporters in Washington. The lawsuit alleges that the BBC “intentionally and maliciously sought to fully mislead its viewers” by splicing together two clips of Trump’s speech that were delivered 55 minutes apart. Trump’s team claims the edits omitted his call for peace, which was part of the same address.
In the speech, Trump urged his followers to march to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were preparing to certify the electoral results favoring Joe Biden. The BBC’s legal representatives argue that the case should be dismissed because the documentary was neither created nor aired in Florida, undermining the basis for jurisdiction.
BBC’s Defense and Past Apology
Furthermore, the BBC’s attorneys assert that the case has failed to demonstrate any actual damage to Trump, highlighting that he was re-elected after the documentary’s release in the UK and won Florida decisively. They challenge Trump’s claim that the documentary was available in the U.S. through a streaming service, asserting that it was never accessible on BritBox, contrary to the allegations made in the lawsuit.
“As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings,”
stated a spokesperson for the BBC in response to inquiries about the lawsuit’s dismissal motion.
In a previous statement, the BBC expressed regret over the editing of the soundbite in the Panorama documentary, acknowledging that it may have given “the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.” The organization emphasized its disagreement with the basis of the defamation claim, reiterating that it has no intention of rebroadcasting the documentary.
As the legal battle unfolds, CBS News has reached out to Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, for comments regarding the BBC’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for media practices and the boundaries of defamation in politically charged environments.