Donald Trump to use BBC emails in defamation lawsuit

Donald Trump intends to use internal BBC emails as evidence in a multi-billion pound defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster. The legal action stems from an October 2024 episode of the Panorama programme, which featured a 12-second edit of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech. The edit combined separate remarks to suggest he had called for violent action, whereas the original remarks were delivered more than 50 minutes apart.

To succeed under US libel law, Trump’s legal team must prove the programme was published with ‘actual malice’—defined as knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. Lawyers plan to cite an apology from BBC Chairman Samir Shah, who described the segment as an ‘editorial error’ that ‘unintentionally created the impression of a single, continuous section’ of the speech.

Additionally, the legal team aims to present emails showing that producers circulated viewing links to individuals in the United States. This is intended to support the argument that the programme was accessible to an American audience, a necessary factor for the defamation claim to proceed in US courts.