Key facts
- A federal judge in Florida has temporarily halted an order requiring President Donald Trump to disclose his finances in a lawsuit against the BBC.
- The reprieve is granted while the judge considers an amended complaint from Trump that could narrow his claims.
- Trump is suing the BBC for $10 billion over alleged defamation and unfair trade practices related to a 2024 documentary.
- The lawsuit concerns the editing of a speech Trump gave on January 6, 2021.
- The BBC has apologized for the edit but denies defamation.
President Donald Trump has received a temporary reprieve from a court order compelling him to disclose financial details of his business empire in a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC. U.S. District Judge Roy Altman in Florida agreed to put the order on hold while he reviews an amended complaint from Trump. Trump's legal team hopes that by narrowing the lawsuit's focus to reputational damage, they can avoid the need for extensive financial disclosures.
The lawsuit, filed in December, stems from the BBC's editing of a 2021 speech by Trump in a 2024 documentary. Trump alleges the editing was misleading and seeks $5 billion for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices. The BBC has apologized for the edit but disputes the defamation claim. The controversy led to the resignations of the BBC's top executive and head of news.
Judge Altman found Trump's argument that an amended complaint might eliminate the need for financial disclosures to be compelling. This argument is contested by the BBC, which had previously been ordered by a magistrate judge to begin releasing financial records from Trump's family trust. Seth Stern, advocacy director at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, suggested that Trump might drop the lawsuit if the BBC successfully argues for the relevance of financial data to reputational harm. Stern also questioned the validity of Trump's $10 billion damages claim for reputational harm, given his position as president and his electoral success following the reporting in question.
A trial in the BBC case is provisionally set for February. This is one of several legal actions Trump has initiated against media organizations. He is also suing The Wall Street Journal and has been involved in disputes with ABC and The Associated Press over coverage and access.