President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC in federal court in Miami, accusing the broadcaster of deceptively editing his January 6, 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary aired before the 2024 election.
Trump claims the BBC spliced together separate parts of his speech to make it appear he directly incited violence at the U.S. Capitol, while omitting his call for supporters to protest “peacefully and patriotically.” He is seeking $5 billion on each of two counts, including defamation and deceptive trade practices.
The BBC has admitted an error of judgment, apologized, and acknowledged the edit gave a “mistaken impression,” but insists there is no legal basis for the lawsuit and says it will defend itself. The controversy sparked a major crisis at the BBC, leading to the resignations of its director general and head of news.
Trump argues the edit caused serious reputational harm, while the BBC maintains there was no intent to mislead and that the documentary was not broadcast in the U.S.