Trump’s $10bn Lawsuit Against BBC Set for Trial in 2027
President Donald Trump’s $10bn defamation lawsuit against the BBC is heading to trial in February 2027 after a Florida judge refused to delay the case. Court documents show a two-week trial will begin on 15th February 2027 in Miami. Judge Roy K Altman also rejected the BBC’s request to pause the discovery phase, where both sides exchange evidence, calling the attempt premature.
Trump is suing the BBC over a 2024 episode of the BBC’s current affairs programme Panorama, titled Trump: A Second Chance?. The programme edited together two separate moments from his speech on 6th January 2021, the day of the US Capitol attack, making it appear as though he directly encouraged supporters to storm the building.
The broadcast spliced together remarks delivered nearly 50 minutes apart to form the line: “We're going to walk down to the Capitol... and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
Trump argues that the edit falsely suggested he incited violence. His claim seeks $5bn in damages for defamation and another $5bn for unfair trade practices. His lawyers say the clip was “false and defamatory” and accuse the broadcaster of having “intentionally and maliciously sought to fully mislead its viewers around the world”.
The BBC later apologised for the edit, acknowledging it had created a “mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action”. BBC chair Samir Shah described the decision to merge the clips as an “error of judgement”. However, the corporation refused to pay compensation and maintains that there is no legal basis for the lawsuit.
In a statement after the latest court ruling, a BBC spokesperson said: “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
The broadcaster is expected to file a motion to dismiss the case by March 2026. It has argued that the Florida court lacks “personal jurisdiction”, that the venue is “improper”, and that Trump has “failed to state a claim”. The BBC has also said that the programme was not produced or broadcast in Florida and disputed claims that it was available in the US via BritBox.
The Panorama episode aired just days before the 2024 US election results and the fallout contributed to the departures of BBC director general Tim Davie and BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness. Davie said there had “been some mistakes made” and that he had to “take ultimate responsibility”.
Trump welcomed the resignations, claiming there had been an attempt to “step on the scales of a presidential election”, adding: “What a terrible thing for Democracy!” His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the footage was “purposefully, dishonestly, selectively edited by the BBC” and called the organisation “total, 100 per cent fake news that should no longer be worth the time on the television screens of the great people of the United Kingdom”.
The case now moves into the evidence-gathering phase ahead of what could be a high-profile courtroom showdown in Miami in 2027.
