Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 13, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe BBC seeks to dismiss Trump's $10 billion lawsuit over an edited Capitol speech, citing lack of jurisdiction and unproven damages.
LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The BBC will file a motion to dismiss U.S. President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit over its editing of a speech that made it appear he had directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol.
In a filing late on Monday, the broadcaster argued that the court in Florida lacked personal jurisdiction in the case because it did not broadcast the programme in Florida, and that the president could not prove damages because he was re-elected after it aired.
Trump said Britain's publicly owned broadcaster defamed him by splicing together parts of a January 6, 2021, speech, including one section where he told supporters to march on the Capitol and another where he said "fight like hell." It omitted a section in which he called for peaceful protest.
Trump's lawsuit alleges the BBC violated a Florida law that bars deceptive and unfair trade practices. He is seeking at least $5 billion in damages for each of the lawsuit's two counts.
BBC ASKS COURT TO STAY THE DISCOVERY PHASE
The BBC has apologised for the editing which appeared on its Panorama documentary programme but said it would defend the case.
In the filing on Monday, the BBC said Trump could not plausibly allege that the documentary was published with "actual malice."
It said it would move to dismiss the complaint and asked the court to stay the merits-based discovery phase, when both sides can obtain evidence from other parties in the lawsuit.
The BBC said engaging in unbounded merits-based discovery while the motion to dismiss was pending would subject the defendants to "considerable burdens and costs" that will be unnecessary if the motion is granted.
The BBC is funded by a mandatory licence fee on all television-watching households.
"As Plaintiff failed to plead actual damages, claiming only vague 'harm to his professional and occupational interests,' his claim fails," the BBC filing stated.
(Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Jurisdiction refers to the legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. It is based on geographic area or the type of case involved.
Actual malice is a legal standard used in defamation cases, requiring proof that the statement was made with knowledge of its falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth.
Personal jurisdiction is the court's authority over a particular individual or entity, typically based on their residence or activities within the court's geographic area.
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