Judge rules Trump must hand over financial records sought by BBC in defamation case
A Florida judge has ordered President Donald Trump to release financial records as part of a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed against the BBC. The BBC is seeking evidence to counter claims of financial loss resulting from a Panorama documentary edit.
Why it matters
This ruling marks a significant development in a high-profile legal battle between a sitting US president and a major international media organization regarding discovery procedures.
Image source, Getty Images By Tom Bateman Miami Published 22 July 2026, 00:45 BST A judge in Florida has ruled President Donald Trump must hand over financial records sought by the BBC as it defends itself in his $10bn (£7.5bn) defamation lawsuit.
The order came during the first hearing in the case, in which the US president is suing the corporation over an episode of Panorama that edited together different sections of his speech on the day of the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.
Judge Enjoliqué Lett granted a motion by the BBC's legal team to compel the release of financial records held by the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust, which he created to manage his businesses while he is president.
The judge's ruling at Tuesday's hearing in Miami can still be appealed.
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