WASHINGTON (FN) — President Donald Trump sued the British Broadcasting Corporation on Monday, seeking $10 billion in damages and accusing the publicly funded media organization of defamation and deceptive trade practices over how it edited his January 6, 2021 speech.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges that a BBC Panorama documentary aired in the United Kingdom misrepresented Trump’s words by splicing together separate portions of the speech to make it appear he incited violence at the U.S. Capitol. Essentially, BBC created harmful, misleading and untruthful news reporting.
Trump’s complaint says the news was fake and omitted parts of his remarks in which he called for peaceful protest and instead presented a misleading narrative that harmed his reputation and economic interests. He is asking for 5 billion dollars in damages for defamation and 5 billion dollars for violating Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In a statement at the White House, Trump said the BBC “put words in my mouth, literally” and accused the broadcaster of attempting to influence the 2024 election. “They put terrible words in my mouth having to do with Jan. 6 that I didn’t say,” he said.
The Panorama episode in question, titled Trump: A Second Chance?, aired days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. It drew intense scrutiny in Britain and abroad after critics said the edited clip suggested Trump encouraged his supporters to “fight like hell” — a phrase drawn from a different part of the speech.
The BBC apologized last month, describing the fake news as an “error of judgment,” and two senior executives — director-general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness — resigned amid the controversy. But the broadcaster has denied that it defamed Trump and said it would defend itself in court. A BBC spokesperson said the corporation would not comment further on ongoing legal proceedings.
Legal experts have noted hurdles in Trump’s case, particularly because the documentary was not officially broadcast in the United States, raising questions about jurisdiction and whether Trump can show he suffered harm in the U.S. under American defamation standards.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions by Trump against media organizations over their coverage of him. In recent months, Trump has reached settlements with U.S. outlets including CBS and ABC in separate defamation disputes.
The BBC’s response and legal strategy are expected to focus on challenging the lawsuit’s legal basis, including whether U.S. courts have jurisdiction and whether the high legal standard for defamation involving public figures has been met.
