President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC backfired on Tuesday when U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett in the Southern District of Florida ruled Trump's own damage claims require disclosure of his financial records.
Trump filed the suit in December 2025, accusing the BBC of deceptively editing his January 6, 2021 speech to make it sound like he called for violence, according to CNBC.
Judge Lett stated, "All of President Trump's brand, properties and businesses are impugned or said to have been impugned. Reputational, economic damages, all of that is now at issue in this case."
The ruling opens Trump's finances across more than 400 companies to BBC scrutiny, Politico reported.
"He ran for president of the United States on a platform of the art of the deal," BBC attorney Chuck Tobin argued.
"You cannot separate the man and his reputation from the operation of his businesses."
Trump's attorney, Al Brito, attempted to argue the case "evolved" and explained he now only sought reputational damages. But Lett explained she lacked the authority to strip impending economic damage claims.
"All of the impressions that were received by President Trump's statements on Jan. 6 are at issue," Lett said.
"The full relitigation of Jan. 6 is not at issue."
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