BBC files motion asking US court to throw out Trump’s $10bn lawsuit

The BBC has filed a motion in a Florida court to dismiss a $10 billion defamation lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump. The lawsuit stems from the BBC documentary "Trump: A Second Chance?", which Trump claims unfairly edited his 2021 speech, causing him $5 billion in damages for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices. The BBC argues the court lacks jurisdiction as the documentary never aired in Florida or the US and that the lawsuit could negatively impact free speech. The broadcaster also contends that Trump cannot prove the documentary harmed his reputation and that the case fails to meet the legal standard of "actual malice" required for defamation suits. The BBC has apologized for the edit, which spliced together sections of Trump's speech regarding the January 6th Capitol attack.

The BBC has requested a US court to dismiss Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit regarding a documentary, "Trump: A Second Chance," arguing the case lacks jurisdiction and poses a "chilling effect" on reporting. The BBC claims the documentary, which aired in the UK before Trump's reelection, was not published in the US, including Florida, where the suit was filed. The lawsuit stems from a 12-second clip that spliced together two parts of Trump's January 6, 2021 speech, which the BBC has already apologized for, stating it unintentionally gave the impression Trump directly called for violent action. The BBC's lawyers cited a similar Trump lawsuit against CNN that was dismissed and argued that defendants should not have to deal with expensive, groundless litigation, restricting the ability to cover public figures. The BBC maintains the documentary was not available in the US on BritBox International or BBC.com.

The BBC has requested a Florida court to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Donald Trump concerning a documentary that allegedly misrepresented his January 6th speech. The BBC argues the documentary was never broadcast or streamed in Florida or the United States, challenging the court's jurisdiction. They also contend that Trump cannot prove the BBC intentionally misrepresented him. The BBC maintains they will strongly defend against the lawsuit, asserting that Trump has failed to provide plausible evidence of intentional misrepresentation. The request for dismissal was filed on Monday, March 17, 2026.