On Monday, former President Donald Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation and deceptive trade practices over a January 6 speech edit.
The lawsuit
The 33‑page complaint accuses the BBC of broadcasting a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump,” calling it a “brazen attempt to interfere in and influence” the 2024 U.S. presidential election. It also alleges the BBC “spliced together two entirely separate parts of President Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021” to “intentionally misrepresent the meaning of what President Trump said.”
BBC’s response and fallout
The broadcaster did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. It had apologized last month to Trump over the edit of the Jan. 6 speech, but rejected claims that it had defamed him after Trump threatened legal action. BBC chairman Samir Shah called the edit an “error of judgment,” a remark that led to the resignations of the BBC’s top executive and its head of news.
Context of the speech and edit
The speech took place before some of Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was poised to certify President‑elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election that Trump falsely alleged was stolen from him. The BBC broadcast the hour‑long documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The program spliced together three quotes from two sections of the 2021 speech, delivered almost an hour apart, into what appeared to be one quote in which Trump urged supporters to march with him and “fight like hell.” Parts cut out included a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
Legal and jurisdictional issues
Trump said earlier Monday that he was suing the BBC “for putting words in my mouth.” He added in the Oval Office: “They actually put terrible words in my mouth having to do with Jan. 6 that I didn’t say, and they’re beautiful words, that I said, right? They’re beautiful words, talking about patriotism and all of the good things that I said. They didn’t say that, but they put terrible words.” The lawsuit was filed in Florida. Deadlines to bring the case in British courts expired more than a year ago. Legal experts note potential challenges to a U.S. case because the documentary was not shown in the country. The lawsuit alleges that people in the U.S. can watch the BBC’s original content, including the “Panorama” series, which included the documentary, by using the subscription streaming platform BritBox.
About the BBC
The 103‑year‑old BBC is a national institution funded through an annual license fee of 174.50 pounds ($230) paid by every household that watches live TV or BBC content. Bound by the terms of its charter to be impartial, it typically faces especially intense scrutiny and criticism from both conservatives and liberals.
Key Takeaways
- Trump seeks $10 billion in damages from the BBC for alleged defamation over a Jan 6 speech edit.
- The BBC apologized last month but rejected defamation claims; its chairman’s remarks triggered executive resignations.
- The lawsuit raises jurisdictional questions, as it was filed in Florida while British court deadlines have passed.
Trump’s lawsuit underscores the growing legal tensions between U.S. political figures and UK media over content that crosses borders.
