A fresh storm is gathering between Donald Trump and one of the world’s most powerful broadcasters, and this time it’s heading straight for the courts.
The US president has launched an eye-watering lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the corporation of deliberately manipulating his words in a high-profile documentary that aired just days before the American election.
Trump files a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC
Trump has filed a lawsuit worth $10 billion in the Southern District of Florida, accusing the BBC of defamation and breaching Florida’s trade practices law.
His legal team is seeking $5 billion in damages for each claim, arguing that the broadcaster caused serious harm by misrepresenting him to viewers.
At the heart of the case is a Panorama episode titled Trump: A Second Chance?, which Trump says falsely portrayed him as encouraging the January 6 Capitol riot by editing together separate parts of a speech he gave that day.
Claims of misleading edits and malicious intent
According to a 33-page legal complaint, Trump’s lawyers accuse the BBC of creating what they describe as a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious” portrayal of the president.
The lawsuit alleges the broadcaster intentionally spliced two different sections of Trump’s speech to make it appear as though he was urging supporters to storm the Capitol in Washington, DC.
Trump’s team insists the editing was done in a way that deliberately misled viewers and distorted the true meaning of his remarks.
Trump reacts publicly and hints at AI involvement
Speaking earlier this week, Trump said he planned to sue after discovering the edited footage, claiming the BBC had put words in his mouth.
He even suggested artificial intelligence might have been used to alter the speech.
The president had already warned last month that legal action was coming unless the BBC issued a full retraction, a strong apology, and financial compensation for what he described as a deeply misleading edit.
The BBC apologises but refuses to pay compensation
In November, the BBC sent Trump a personal apology acknowledging that the edit was an “error of judgment.”
However, the broadcaster made it clear it did not believe there was any legal basis for a defamation claim and refused to offer financial compensation.
The BBC admitted the edit unintentionally created the impression that Trump had made a single continuous call for action, rather than excerpts taken from different moments in the speech.
The corporation said this mistake wrongly suggested he directly encouraged violence.
Internal turmoil inside the BBC
The controversy has shaken the BBC from the inside.
In a letter to staff, chairman Samir Shah acknowledged the emotional toll the situation had taken, admitting there was sadness, anger, and frustration across the organisation.
He confirmed he had personally apologised to Trump but stressed the BBC strongly disagreed that defamation laws had been breached.
Shah also thanked staff for remaining resilient amid what he described as extremely challenging circumstances.
Panorama pulled and Newsnight also under scrutiny
The BBC has confirmed the Panorama programme will not be broadcast again in its current form or appear on any of its platforms.
Meanwhile, BBC Newsnight has also been accused of misleading editing related to Trump’s January 6 speech.
In one Newsnight segment, Trump is shown saying phrases such as “we fight like hell,” followed by presenter Kirsty Wark’s voiceover stating, “and fight they did,” as footage of the Capitol riot plays.
Critics argue this editorial choice reinforced the same misleading narrative.
Trump insists legal action is unavoidable
Trump has been vocal about why he believes suing the BBC is necessary.
In interviews with GB News and Fox News, he said he felt obligated to act, arguing that failing to do so would allow similar treatment of others in the future.
He described the BBC’s actions as the most extreme example of “fake news” he had ever encountered and confirmed plans to seek damages ranging from hundreds of millions to several billion dollars.
Senior BBC resignations follow the backlash
The fallout has already claimed senior figures within the corporation.
BBC Director General Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News, both resigned on November 9, just days after the row erupted.
Trump later commented that the BBC had “defrauded the public” and said it was particularly disappointing coming from what he described as a supposed ally of the United States.
The BBC’s legal defence and government response
Facing the prospect of an expensive legal battle funded by licence fee payers, the BBC’s lawyers sent Trump a detailed letter outlining why they believe the case lacks merit.
They argued the documentary aired only in the UK, caused no real harm since Trump was re-elected, and was not intended to mislead viewers but simply shorten a long speech.
They also noted the disputed clip lasted just 12 seconds in an hour-long programme that included supportive voices and argued that political speech and opinion are strongly protected under US defamation law.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has since weighed in, saying the BBC’s editorial standards are sometimes not robust enough and are not always applied consistently.
What happens next?
With the lawsuit now formally filed, the dispute moves from heated interviews and public statements into a courtroom setting.
The case is likely to test the boundaries of editorial freedom, political speech, and media accountability on a global scale — and could have lasting implications for how major broadcasters handle powerful political figures in the future.
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