Trump Launches $5 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC Over Panorama Edit
Trump claims BBC altered his January 6 speech in Panorama documentary, filing $5bn defamation lawsuit
- Trump sues the BBC for $5 billion, alleging edited speech misrepresented his words.
- Panorama clip combined two statements from January 6 speech, creating impression of a call for violence.
- BBC apologised but denied defamation, while UK politicians urge government to defend the broadcaster.
Former US President Donald Trump has filed a $5 billion (£3.7 billion) defamation lawsuit against the BBC, alleging that the broadcaster edited his January 6, 2021, speech in a Panorama documentary to misrepresent his words. The lawsuit, filed in Florida, also claims violations of trade practices law.
Trump’s legal team argues that the BBC “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively” altered his speech, giving the false impression he made a direct call for violence at the US Capitol. The controversial edit combined two statements from the speech—originally separated by over 50 minutes—into one sequence: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
The BBC apologised for the error last month, admitting the edit created a misleading impression, but denied that a defamation claim was justified and rejected Trump’s demand for compensation. An internal memo criticizing the edit was leaked in November, resulting in the resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness.
The lawsuit also points to potential US viewership via licensing agreements and VPN use, claiming Florida residents may have accessed the programme despite its official UK-only broadcast. The BBC has not yet responded to these new claims.
Trump had previously announced his intention to sue, claiming the broadcaster “cheated” by altering his words. UK political figures, including Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, have condemned the legal action, calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to defend the BBC and protect public licence fee payers.
No formal response from the BBC has been issued since the lawsuit was filed.
