The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has asked a United States federal court in Florida to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a documentary that featured his January 6, 2021 speech ahead of the attack on the US Capitol.
Trump initiated the lawsuit last year, accusing the BBC of defamation and violating Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The suit centres on a BBC programme that edited segments of his speech delivered during the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
According to Trump, the documentary spliced together two separate portions of his address in a way that falsely suggested he directly urged supporters to storm the Capitol.
He is seeking at least $5 billion in damages on each of two counts.
In court filings submitted on Monday in Miami, BBC lawyers argued that the Florida court lacks personal jurisdiction over the broadcaster and that Trump has failed to show any concrete or measurable harm arising from the documentary.
The BBC noted that Trump had described the alleged damage only in broad terms, including claims of harm to his professional and occupational interests.
The filing also pointed out that Trump went on to win the November 5, 2024 presidential election, securing Florida by a 13-point margin, undermining claims of political or reputational damage.
The broadcaster further argued that the documentary was aired before the 2024 election and was not broadcast in the United States, a key point in its request for dismissal.
Trump’s lawsuit alleges that the BBC “fabricated” the edited speech and deliberately sought to influence the 2024 election against him.
The BBC has denied these accusations.
Although BBC chairman Samir Shah sent Trump a letter of apology last year and told a UK parliamentary committee that the broadcaster should have acted sooner to acknowledge an error, the organisation maintains that the claims do not justify the scale of the lawsuit.
The controversy surrounding the documentary led to the resignation of BBC director-general Tim Davie and senior news executive Deborah Turness.
Responding to the latest court filing, a BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster would vigorously defend the case and would not comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing.
