A federal judge has temporarily halted an order requiring US President Donald Trump to hand over detailed financial records about his business empire to the BBC, granting a last-minute reprieve in an ongoing libel lawsuit over a 2024 documentary.
US District Judge Roy Altman issued the temporary pause while he weighs Trump’s request to revise and narrow parts of his complaint against the British broadcaster. The stay suspends a prior order that would have compelled Trump to disclose extensive information about his companies as part of the discovery process.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit in which Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages, alleging that a 2024 edition of the BBC’s “Panorama” program defamed him. The documentary, which aired in the United Kingdom, examined the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
At the center of the case is an edited clip of a speech Trump delivered before the Capitol was stormed. The BBC has faced criticism over how the footage was presented, and the broadcaster has acknowledged concerns about the editing of the segment.
The temporary halt marks a procedural victory for Trump, whose legal team had pushed back against the scope of the financial disclosures sought by the broadcaster. Such records requests are common in defamation cases, where damages claims often hinge on demonstrating financial harm.
The libel action is one of several high-profile legal confrontations between Trump and major media organizations. His administration has previously clashed with outlets over editorial decisions, including a dispute that saw the White House warn CBS over the handling of interview footage.
The BBC has not indicated whether it intends to challenge the temporary pause. As a publicly funded broadcaster, the corporation operates under strict editorial guidelines, and questions surrounding the documentary have drawn scrutiny in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Defamation claims involving public figures face a high legal threshold in US courts, which generally require plaintiffs to prove that false statements were made with actual malice, meaning knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.
Judge Altman is expected to rule on Trump’s request to amend the lawsuit in the coming weeks, a decision that will determine whether the financial disclosure order is reinstated, modified, or set aside. The outcome could shape the trajectory of the case and the extent to which Trump’s business dealings become subject to examination.