Former US President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the BBC, seeking $10 billion in damages, is set to proceed to trial next year. The US District Court Southern District of Florida, presided over by Judge Roy K Altman, has denied the broadcaster’s attempts to dismiss the libel case and scheduled a trial date for February 15, 2023.
The lawsuit stems from a Panorama episode aired in 2024, which allegedly depicted Trump inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol building in 2021. The episode featured a manipulated clip of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021, where he was shown saying, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell,” omitting his call for a peaceful march.
Following the controversy, BBC director general Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness resigned. Davie admitted to errors in judgment and took responsibility for the situation before stepping down from his position.
Trump’s legal team contends that the edited footage was “false and defamatory,” leading to the substantial damages claim. The BBC had previously argued that the Florida court lacked jurisdiction over the case, claiming the venue was improper and Trump had not presented a valid claim.
Moreover, the BBC refuted Trump’s assertion that the documentary was available in the US via the BritBox streaming service, stating that they did not produce or broadcast the program in Florida.
Keir Starmer, a prominent figure in UK politics, has faced pressure to support the BBC against Trump’s legal actions, as the former president has pursued lawsuits against various media outlets, including ABC, CBS, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
In response to the ongoing legal proceedings, a spokesperson for the BBC stated, “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
