President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC has drawn criticism from legal commentators after his attorneys failed to meet a court-imposed deadline.

The lawsuit, originally filed in Florida in December 2025, alleges that the BBC defamed Trump by mischaracterizing remarks he made before the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S.Capitol.Trump argues that the broadcaster's reporting damaged his reputation by presenting his comments in a misleading manner.The BBC responded by seeking dismissal of the case in March 2026.

According to the broadcaster's legal filing, the Florida court lacks jurisdiction because the disputed content was not broadcast in Florida or elsewhere in the United States.The BBC also argued that Trump cannot demonstrate reputational harm, pointing to his subsequent victory in the 2024 presidential election.U.S.District Judge Roy Altman set a June 5 deadline for Trump's legal team to respond to the BBC's motion.Reuters reported that the deadline was missed.

On their podcast 'Civil Action,' attorneys Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian discussed the issue, describing the missed filing as a serious procedural error.Kabateck suggested that Trump's team may have expected the BBC to settle rather than aggressively defend the case.

Karnikian went further, stating that missing such a deadline would be considered inexcusable in ordinary legal practice and could potentially be viewed as malpractice.

The article focuses primarily on the procedural setback and the criticism from outside legal experts, rather than on the underlying merits of Trump's defamation claims against the BBC.