The BBC is seeking to dismiss Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit, according to court documents.
The broadcaster previously vowed to defend a $10bn (£7.4bn) lawsuit filed in Florida last month over the editing of his January 6 speech on the 2024 Panorama show Trump: Second Chance?, which allegedly gave the impression that he was encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol.
According to court documents, the BBC plans to file a motion to dismiss the suit, arguing that Florida courts lack “personal jurisdiction” over the organization, that the forum is “inappropriate” and that Trump has “failed to state a case.”
It asked the court to effectively halt evidence gathering for the parties pending a decision on the motion.
The company will argue that claims that the documentary was not produced, produced or broadcast in Florida and that it was available in the United States on the streaming service Britbox are untrue.
The president will also argue that the broadcaster has no “plausible claim” that it released the documentary with “actual malice.”
“The plaintiffs will seek extensive and unsavory discovery on the merits, alleging that the BBC’s entire coverage of Donald J. Trump over the past decade has been damaging to his business and political profile as a whole,” the BBC’s lawyers said.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have previously made clear, we intend to defend this action. We will not be commenting further on ongoing legal proceedings.”
Trump’s lawyers accused the BBC of “intentionally, maliciously and deceptively falsifying” the speech to paint it in a “false, defamatory, deceptive, derogatory, inflammatory and malicious” manner, in a “brazen attempt to interfere with and influence the outcome of the election to the detriment of President Trump.”
The team is seeking $5 billion (£3.7 billion) in damages for the defamation lawsuit and $5 billion for alleged trade law violations.
BBC chairman Sameer Shah wrote to the White House in November apologizing and confirming there were no plans to rebroadcast the film, which aired in October 2024.
This story first appeared on Broadcast, Screen’s sister site.
