Legal professionals for US President Donald Trump say the BBC brought about him overwhelming reputational and monetary hurt.
Printed On 16 Dec 2025
United States President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit searching for at the very least $10bn from the BBC over a documentary that edited his speech to supporters earlier than the US Capitol riot in 2021.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court docket in Miami on Monday, seeks “damages in an quantity not lower than $5,000,000,000” for every of two counts towards the UK broadcaster for alleged defamation and violation of the Florida Misleading and Unfair Commerce Practices Act.
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Earlier within the day, Trump confirmed his plans to file the lawsuit.
“I’m suing the BBC for placing phrases in my mouth, actually… I suppose they used AI or one thing,” he informed reporters on the White Home.
“That’s referred to as pretend information .”
President Trump: “I am suing the BBC for placing phrases in my mouth, actually…I suppose they used AI or one thing…they really put horrible phrases in my mouth having to do with January sixth that I did not say.” pic.twitter.com/cUwXqBq3Zd
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 15, 2025
Trump has accused the UK publicly-owned broadcaster of defaming him by splicing collectively elements of a January 6, 2021, speech, together with one part the place he informed supporters to march on the Capitol, and one other the place he mentioned, “Struggle like hell”.
The edited sections of his speech omitted phrases wherein Trump additionally referred to as for peaceable protest.
Trump’s lawsuit alleges that the BBC defamed him, and his attorneys say the documentary brought about him overwhelming reputational and monetary hurt.
The BBC has already apologised to Trump, admitted an error of judgement and acknowledged that the edit gave the mistaken impression that he had made a direct name for violent motion.
The broadcaster additionally mentioned that there was no authorized foundation for the lawsuit, and that to beat the US Structure’s sturdy authorized protections totally free speech and the press, Trump might want to show in court docket not solely that the edit was false and defamatory, but additionally that the BBC knowingly misled viewers or acted recklessly.
The broadcaster might argue that the documentary was considerably true and its enhancing selections didn’t create a misunderstanding, authorized consultants mentioned. It might additionally declare the programme didn’t harm Trump’s status.
Trump, in his lawsuit, mentioned that the BBC, regardless of its apology, “has made no exhibiting of precise regret for its wrongdoing nor significant institutional modifications to stop future journalistic abuses”.
A spokesman for Trump’s authorized crew mentioned in a press release that the BBC had “an extended sample of deceiving its viewers in protection of President Trump, all in service of its personal leftist political agenda”.
The BBC didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark after the lawsuit was filed on Monday.
The dispute over the edited speech, featured on the BBC’s Panorama documentary present shortly earlier than the 2024 presidential election, prompted a public relations disaster for the broadcaster, resulting in the resignations of its two most senior officers.
Different media organisations have settled with Trump, together with CBS and ABC, when Trump sued them following his comeback win within the November 2024 election.
Trump has additionally filed lawsuits towards The New York Instances, The Wall Road Journal and a newspaper in Iowa, all of which have denied wrongdoing.
