President Donald Trump has successfully scheduled a trial in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC for February 2027 in Miami. The lawsuit arises from a 2024 episode of the BBC show 'Panorama,' which Trump claims improperly edited his statements from the day of the Capitol invasion on January 6, 2021. He contends that the editing manipulated his words to imply he incited violence during the attack, hence resulting in significant reputational damage.

Trump's legal team has argued that the edit spliced together soundbites that were actually separated by 50 minutes, thereby misleading viewers into believing he was directly inciting the insurrection. In the controversial segment, Trump states, "We're going to walk down to the Capitol... and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell," which he claims is taken out of context to suggest he was encouraging the riotous behavior of his supporters.

The BBC, on its part, had attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, asserting that their reporting was protected under free speech provisions. However, the trial is set to delve into critical questions about the standards of journalism, public figures' rights to protect their image, and the implications of editing in media, especially concerning significant historical events like the Capitol riot.