President Donald Trump’s $10 billion gamble against the BBC is backfiring big time against not only him, but his friends and family too, after a Black federal judge made a ruling that changes the entire legal fight.
Judge Enjoliqué Lett of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami ruled July 21 that the BBC can obtain comprehensive financial information from the president as part of his defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster.
Trump’s complaint alleges his businesses suffered serious financial consequences after the network aired a documentary on him in 2024. It included edited clips of his January 6, 2021, speech where he encouraged an enraged mob of MAGA supporters to attack the Capitol.
“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,” Lett said at the end of a three-hour hearing, according to Politico.
The judge made some immediate fans after her ruling. “Ooh, another Black woman up in his grill. Love it,” a Threads user gushed.
Another agreed, “I love her.”
Trump claimed in December of 2025 in announcing the lawsuit that the BBC “put words in his mouth.”
“They had me saying things that I never said coming out. I guess they used AI or something. So, we’ll be bringing that lawsuit,” he whined at the time.
“They actually put terrible words in my mouth having to do with January 6th that I didn’t say,” Trump complained before grousing about how the network left out “beautiful things” he did say about patriotism.
But the truth is in January 2021, after Trump lost the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden and as a joint session of Congress was getting ready to certify the Electoral College vote declaring Biden the winner, Trump gave a speech on the Ellipse.
He launched into false claims about the election. He implored his supporters to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell” right before the violent mob attacked the building with frightened lawmakers inside.
A social media frenzy erupted after the judge’s ruling in support of the BBC and its hardball tactics
“Please BBC, do not settle,” a Threads user implored.
“I hope they expose his corruption! I hope he gets removed from office for all of his corruption and is prosecuted,” another chimed in.
Others piled on, “I LOVE THIS!!! The discovery process for the lawsuit will open up a lot of cans of worms that could be made public. He walked right into it. Thank you, BBC” and “Bring it on.”
This Threads poster joked, “Orange is the New Dumb.”
The hits kept coming. “He still has to present those files, he started it, the court is finishing it.”
Judge Lett’s decision means the BBC can request financial information on more than 400 companies owned by Trump and his family, dragging his kids, key political ally Steve Bannon, and his White House adviser Stephen Miller into the legal mess.
But Politico reported Trump can appeal the ruling to a U.S. District Court judge he appointed. Trump has already backed away from some of his damage allegations that the documentary caused economic harm and damaged his businesses, according to the publication.
The BBC also argued last week that it had “no role in creating or producing the documentary, and did not broadcast it in the US.” Therefore, they should not be part of the suit. Trump agreed but is still moving forward with the lawsuit against the network overall.
