Trump’s case against BBC to proceed after judge kicks out dismissal bid

Donald Trump's defamation case against the BBC over a Panorama documentary will proceed to trial after the broadcaster's bid to dismiss the case was unsuccessful. In December 2025, Trump filed a lawsuit over the editing of a Panorama documentary that included footage of Trump's speech at a rally before the US Capitol riots in 2021.

The editors spliced two parts of Trump's speech together, making it appear as if he had said, "We're gonna walk down to the Capitol... and I'll be with you... and we fight. We fight like hell." The BBC apologized to Trump and both the director general and news chief resigned. However, when Trump's lawyer demanded compensation or threatened a lawsuit, the BBC refused, leading to Trump filing a $10bn lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida.

In July, the judge ordered Trump to disclose financial details about his businesses and cooperate with the discovery process, with a deadline of 11 December. The BBC attempted to dismiss Trump's case in a motion earlier this month, arguing that the Miami court lacked jurisdiction and that the documentary was aimed at a UK audience, so a US court was inappropriate.

However, Trump-appointed Judge Jeffrey Kuntz dismissed the BBC's motion on Tuesday, stating that Trump's claims "extend beyond negligence and plead a claim of recklessness" and that this was sufficient to satisfy the notice-pleading standard. Trump hailed the ruling as a "huge victory against fake news BBC" on Truth Social, while a BBC spokesperson expressed surprise at the decision but respected the court's authority and stated that they would continue to respond through the proper legal process.