LONDON — The BBC announced on Tuesday that it will vigorously defend against a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump, who claims the British broadcaster deliberately edited his 6 January 2021 speech to suggest he explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol.
“As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement, declining further comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.
The lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, seeks at least $5 billion in damages on each of two counts: defamation and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Trump’s legal team alleges the BBC “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively” edited his speech for a documentary that aired on the network’s flagship “Panorama” program before the 2024 election.
The contentious footage spliced together separate portions of Trump’s 6 January speech, creating what the lawsuit describes as a “fabricated” version that made it appear the then-president directly incited the Capitol attack while lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
“The BBC has a long pattern of deceiving its audience in coverage of President Trump, all in service of its own leftist political agenda,” Trump’s legal team said in a statement.
Political timing
The lawsuit comes as the UK government launched a politically sensitive review of the BBC’s Royal Charter, which governs the corporation’s funding and operations through 2027. The review includes public consultation on the BBC’s mission and controversial funding reforms.
UK Minister Stephen Kinnock emphasised the government’s support for the broadcaster following the lawsuit filing. “The BBC has been very clear that there is no case to answer in terms of Mr Trump’s accusation,” Kinnock told Sky News. “I think it’s right the BBC stands firm on that point.”
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BBC leadership shakeup
The editing controversy led to significant leadership changes at the BBC last month. Both Director General Tim Davie and top news executive Deborah Turness resigned after renewed scrutiny of the edited footage.
BBC Chairman Samir Shah sent Trump an apology letter and acknowledged to a UK parliamentary committee that the broadcaster should have acted sooner after the editing error was disclosed in an internal memo leaked to The Daily Telegraph.
Pattern of legal action
This lawsuit represents the latest in Trump’s series of legal actions against media companies in recent years, several of which have resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements. The 79-year-old president had previously suggested the BBC used artificial intelligence to manipulate his words, claiming they “put words in my mouth.”
The BBC, whose global reach extends far beyond the United Kingdom, maintains its position that no legal defamation occurred, despite acknowledging the editorial mistake in the documentary footage.
ALSO READ: Trump sues New York Times for $15 billion over ‘decades-long defamation’
