Trump's Defamation Suits

Trump sued the BBC over its Panorama documentary. The complaint pleads defamation per se. On July 16, 2026 the two BBC Studios entities were dismissed with prejudice by stipulation, leaving the BBC itself as the only defendant. On July 27, 2026 Magistrate Judge Lett granted in part a motion to compel the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, a non-party, to produce financial records, narrowed to January 1, 2023 forward. In footnote 6 of that order the court noted that courts look to the facts pled rather than the label attached, and that as currently pled Trump's damages are at issue. That is a discovery ruling, not a merits ruling on the per se claim. Damages moved from not less than $5 billion in the complaint to about $10 billion in an interrogatory response, which is what opened the door to the financial discovery.

Pending before Judge Merryday. On July 27, 2026 the court did not rule on the motion to dismiss. It granted Trump leave to amend, with a second amended complaint due August 27, 2026, a redline to chambers, and permission to exceed the page limit only for factual allegations. Trump's own brief asked to cure substantial truth, defamatory meaning and actual malice as to each defendant. This should not be reported as either a dismissal or a survival.

Filed against Rupert Murdoch and Dow Jones over Wall Street Journal reporting. Still pending. A second docket number opened the same day, 1:25-cv-23229, was administratively closed three days later because no initiating document was ever filed on it. That closure is a clerical artifact and not a withdrawn lawsuit.

SETTLED. Trump filed a notice of settlement on December 14, 2024, Chief Judge Altonaga closed the case on December 16, and the parties stipulated to dismissal with prejudice on December 23, 2024. Trump was represented by Alejandro Brito. The settlement terms are not recited on the docket.

LOST. The district court dismissed the complaint, Trump appealed, and the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal. The mandate issued March 26, 2026. This is the only one of Trump's personal defamation suits to have been tested on appeal and it failed.

Brought by the campaign committee, not by Trump personally. Coded as libel and slander on the docket. Terminated December 31, 2020.

Brought by the campaign committee over a television advertisement. Coded as libel and slander on the docket. Terminated November 25, 2020.