BBC Demands Trump’s Diary and Phone Logs in $10B Court Battle

Politics admin June 27, 2026 0 Comments

BBC Demands Trump’s Diary and Phone Logs in $10B Court Battle

President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against a British broadcaster has hit a surprise twist that may not sit well with the president.

The BBC has reportedly requested that Trump, 80, hand over his phone records and private schedules from around the time of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, according to The Telegraph.

Trump is suing the British broadcaster, claiming it defamed him by “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively” editing two parts of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech to make it seem as though he had encouraged his supporters to storm the Capitol.

The BBC’s Panorama program spliced together Trump saying, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol” and “fight like hell, if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not gonna have a country anymore,” despite the two remarks actually being made nearly an hour apart.

According to The Telegraph, which first reported on the Panorama editing controversy, the BBC’s lawyers are seeking the disclosure of a range of documents for the court case, including the president’s telephone logs, calendars, schedules, and diaries from Nov. 3, 2020, to Jan. 20, 2021.

The broadcaster is also seeking that Trump’s legal team provide a list of individuals with whom the president communicated regarding the Jan. 6 rally, including discussions about planning the event, his speech, and what was said in the aftermath.

In filings in the Southern District of Florida, Trump lawyer Alejandro Brito said the BBC is “attempting to use this action as a vehicle to conduct a trial as to the events that occurred on January 6,” The Telegraph reported.

In earlier filings, the BBC pointed to court records showing that over 100 defendants charged over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot said they understood Trump’s speech as encouraging them to act.

Since 2021, the president has said that the thousands who traveled to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 and stormed the Capitol did so because “they thought the election was a rigged election,” described it as a “day of love,” and, during his second presidency, pardoned rioters.

Trump’s lawyers have reportedly rejected requests to hand over financial information as part of the court battle, after the BBC subpoenaed the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, which holds the president’s business interests and assets.

The subpoena came as the president seeks $10 billion in damages, alleging the BBC program damaged “the value of his brand, properties, and businesses.” The BBC sought evidence to assess the financial impact of the Panorama documentary, which first aired in October 2024.

Court filings from the trust’s legal team state that it has raised “multiple objections” to requests for financial documents, accusing the BBC of conducting a “fishing expedition.”

A Financial Times report earlier this month said Trump has not turned over any documentation in his $10 billion lawsuit, while the BBC has produced more than 45,000 documents during discovery.

The Daily Beast has reached out to Trump’s legal team and the BBC for comment.