A Florida judge has ordered US President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC to proceed to trial in February 2027. Judge Roy K Altman set the two-week trial to begin on February 15, 2027, at the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr US Courthouse in Miami.
The lawsuit centers on a 2024 BBC Panorama episode that Trump claims falsely portrayed his role in the January 6, 2021 Capitol storming. Trump's lawyers argue the documentary used "false and defamatory" editing of his speech from that day, splicing together clips to suggest he directly encouraged supporters to storm the Capitol building.
In his January 6, 2021 speech, Trump told supporters: «We're going to walk down to the Capitol… and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.» Trump contends the BBC's editing misrepresented the context and meaning of his remarks.
BBC's Defense Strategy
The British broadcaster is fighting to dismiss the case before trial. The BBC argues the Florida court lacks "personal jurisdiction" over the corporation, the court venue is "improper," and Trump has "failed to state a claim."
The BBC further contends it did not create, produce, or broadcast the documentary in Florida. The corporation also disputes Trump's assertion that the program was available on the BritBox streaming service in the United States.
A BBC spokesperson stated: «As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.»
Next Steps
Judge Altman ordered all parties to select a mediator by March 3, 2026. If the parties cannot agree on a mediator, the court clerk will designate one. A calendar call is scheduled for 1.45pm on February 9, 2027, one week before the trial begins.
The judge specified in his order: «Unless instructed otherwise by subsequent order, the trial and all other proceedings in this case shall be conducted in courtroom 12-4 at the Wilkie D Ferguson Jr US Courthouse, 400 N Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
