Trump Sues BBC for $10 Billion Over Edited January 6 Speech

US President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) seeking at least $10 billion in damages over a documentary that allegedly edited his 2021 speech to supporters ahead of the US Capitol riot. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, accuses the BBC of defamation and violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The documentary, which aired on the BBC’s “Panorama” program last year before the 2024 election, spliced together two separate sections of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech, creating the impression that he explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol. Trump’s legal team claims the BBC “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech” to interfere with the 2024 presidential election.

Trump’s spokesperson stated that the BBC has a “long pattern of deceiving its audience in coverage of President Trump, all in service of its own leftist political agenda”. The BBC had previously apologized for the edit, acknowledging it gave the mistaken impression that Trump made a direct call for violent action.

The lawsuit seeks $5 billion in damages for each of the two counts against the BBC. Trump’s legal team argues that the documentary caused him “overwhelming reputational and financial harm”.