Trump sues the BBC for defamation over editing of speech, seeks up to $10 billion in damages
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US President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion from the BBC over a documentary that edited his January 6, 2021 speech to supporters ahead of the Capitol riot.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Miami, seeks a minimum of $5 billion for each of two claims, alleging defamation and violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Trump said the BBC had “put words in my mouth”, suggesting the clip may even have been altered using AI.
The case centres on a Panorama documentary broadcast last year ahead of the 2024 election. The programme spliced together separate parts of Trump’s speech in a way that appeared to show him urging supporters to attack the Capitol as lawmakers certified Joe Biden’s election victory.
Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of deliberately doctoring the footage to influence the election. The broadcaster has denied defamation claims, though its chairman has issued an apology, acknowledging the error should have been addressed sooner.
The controversy contributed to the recent resignation of the BBC’s director-general and its top news executive. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions Trump has brought against media organisations, some of which have ended in multi-million-dollar settlements.
