Donald Trump’s $10 billion legal battle against the BBC took another turn after he narrowed part of his case while keeping his main claims alive. The latest court filing also came as reports suggested the U.S. government was weighing whether to get involved in the closely watched lawsuit.
The dispute centered on a Panorama documentary that Trump claimed unfairly edited his January 6, 2021, speech. Although some defendants were removed from the case, the lawsuit against the BBC itself continued moving toward a scheduled 2027 trial.
A new court filing changes the scope of Donald Trump’s $10 billion case against the BBC
The Telegraph reported that Trump agreed to dismiss his claims against BBC Studios Distribution and BBC Studios Production, the broadcaster’s commercial and production divisions. Court documents stated, “All claims in this action asserted against the Studios Defendants are hereby dismissed with prejudice, with each party to bear its own costs and attorney’s fees,” before adding, “President Trump shall continue prosecuting his causes of action against defendant British Broadcasting Corporation.”
The outlet noted that Trump originally filed the lawsuit in Florida in December 2025, alleging defamation and violations of Florida trade practices laws over an edited Panorama segment. According to the complaint, the documentary combined portions of his January 6 speech in a way that made it appear he urged supporters to march on the Capitol and “fight,” while omitting his separate remarks encouraging them to protest peacefully.
The publication said Trump alleged the edit fundamentally changed the meaning of his speech and sought $10 billion in damages. Although the claims against the BBC’s studio divisions were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they could not be refiled, the central case against the broadcaster remained active.
The report also revisited the fallout from the documentary, noting the BBC later apologized, acknowledging the edit created “the mistaken impression” that Trump had “made a direct call for violent action.” Despite that apology, the broadcaster rejected Trump’s demand for compensation and continued arguing there was no legal basis for a defamation claim.
Meanwhile, The Financial Times reported that the U.S. government informed the Florida court it was “considering participating in this litigation.” In response, BBC lawyers argued that a “conflict of interest is clear and stark” if federal agencies joined the lawsuit while Trump remained president.
Separately, Deadline reported that Trump’s lawyers recently argued a jury should decide the defamation claims and challenged the BBC’s request to dismiss the case, while maintaining the broadcaster’s geo-blocking technology did not reliably prevent U.S. viewers from accessing the documentary.
The lawsuit remained scheduled for trial in February 2027.
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