The BBC are taking legal steps to have Trump’s 10 billion dollar defamation lawsuit over a Panorama edit dismissed, court documents show. The TV episode faced criticism at the end of last year due to a show broadcast in 2024.
The episode edited together segements of the US President’s speech from January 6, 2021 which suggested that he encouraged his supporters to storm the Capitol building. BBC’s edit had Mr Trump say: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit for up to 10 billion dollars (£7.5 billion) for the splicing together of his speech as his lawyers claim it was “false and defamatory”. The BBC filed documents late on Monday evening (January 12) that reveal the broadcaster will file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming the Florida court lacks “personal jurisdiction” over them, the court venue is “improper” and that Trump has “failed to state a claim”.
The cooperation will argue that Panorama was not created, produced or broadcast in Florida and although Trump claims the show was available on streaming service BritBox, this is incorrect.
The BBC will also claim that Mr Trump has failed to “plausibly allege” the BBC published the documentary with “actual malice”, which public officials are required to show when filing suit for defamation in the US. The broadcaster have asked the court “to stay all other discovery” – the pre-trial process in which parties gather information – pending the decision on the motion.
The trial will take place in 2027, should the case continue. The BBC previously apologised for the edit in which they said it was an “error of judgment”. The company did argue that there was no legal basis for the US President’s claim.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team argued that the episode was a “brazen attempt” at interfering in the presidential election. The spokesperson said: “The BBC has a long pattern of deceiving its audience in coverage of President Trump, all in service of its own leftist political agenda. President Trump’s powerhouse lawsuit is holding the BBC accountable for its defamation and reckless election interference just as he has held other fake news mainstream media responsible for their wrongdoing.”
Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, resigned over the edit as well as head of BBC News Deborah Turness. Davie admitted there had “been some mistakes made” and that he had to “take ultimate responsibility” as he stepped down from his role.
PA have approached BBC has been approached for comment.