The U.S. government is considering whether to participate in President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, according to new court filings reviewed by the Financial Times, raising fresh questions about the role of the federal government in litigation that Trump says he brought in his personal capacity.

The Justice Department notified the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida that "it is considering participating in this litigation" after the BBC served discovery requests seeking documents from executive branch agencies, according to filings submitted in the case.

The BBC objected to any government intervention, arguing in a filing that the "conflict of interest is clear and stark."

The broadcaster also pointed to arguments it has made elsewhere in the case, writing that "although President Trump avers that he is bringing this lawsuit in his personal capacity, he is the sitting president," while the executive branch agencies from which it seeks records "are entities whose decisions are subject to his direction."

Trump filed the lawsuit in December 2025, accusing the British public broadcaster of defaming him through a documentary examining the Jan. 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol. The complaint alleges the documentary misleadingly edited together portions of Trump's speech to suggest he directly encouraged supporters to enter the Capitol.

Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages, alleging the documentary harmed his reputation and damaged "the value of his brand, properties and businesses."

The BBC has acknowledged the documentary created a misleading impression through its editing and apologized, saying the program would not be broadcast again in its original form. However, the broadcaster is contesting the lawsuit and has asked the court to dismiss it.

Among its arguments, the BBC contends there is no basis for a U.S. court to hear the case because the documentary was not broadcast in Florida or elsewhere in the United States. It has also argued that Trump has failed to plausibly establish the elements necessary to sustain a defamation claim against a media organization.

The litigation has also produced a contentious discovery fight.

In a separate filing, the BBC said Trump has not yet produced financial records supporting his claims of reputational and business harm, despite requesting extensive discovery from the broadcaster. According to the filing, Trump's attorneys proposed an initial production of documents by July 20, with additional disclosures to follow.

Earlier court filings showed the BBC had already produced tens of thousands of pages of documents while continuing to seek records from Trump.

The prospect of Justice Department participation marks the latest instance in which the Trump administration has sought involvement in civil litigation involving the president.

Earlier this year, a federal judge rejected a Justice Department effort to substitute the United States for Trump in lawsuits arising from the events of Jan. 6, concluding the conduct at issue fell outside the scope of a president's official duties. The administration has also continued pursuing intervention in writer E. Jean Carroll's defamation litigation after previous courts declined similar requests.

The BBC's motion to dismiss remains pending, while the court is continuing to oversee discovery disputes ahead of a trial that is tentatively scheduled for February 2027.