US President Donald Trump has filed a $5 billion (£3.7 billion) lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of defamation over an edited clip of his January 6, 2021 speech used in a Panorama documentary.
Court filings in Florida claim the BBC deliberately altered Trump’s words to falsely portray him as calling for violence ahead of the Capitol riot. Trump’s legal team alleges the edit was intentional, malicious, and deceptive, and also accuses the BBC of breaching trade practices laws.
The BBC apologised last month for the edit, admitting it created a “mistaken impression” that Trump directly encouraged violent action. However, the broadcaster rejected any claim of defamation and refused to pay compensation, saying there was no legal basis for damages.
In the original speech, Trump told supporters they would “walk down to the Capitol” and later said, “We fight like hell.” The Panorama programme edited the remarks together, making it appear as a single continuous call to action. Trump has repeatedly said the edit misrepresented his words and harmed his reputation.
The controversy triggered internal fallout at the BBC, including the resignation of director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness after an internal memo criticised the editing decision.
BBC lawyers previously argued the documentary caused Trump no harm, noting he was re-elected after it aired. They also said the programme was not broadcast in the US and was restricted to UK viewers on BBC iPlayer.
Trump’s lawsuit counters that claim, alleging the documentary was accessible in Florida through VPN use, BritBox, and third-party licensing agreements allowing international distribution.
The BBC has not yet responded to the lawsuit. UK Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has criticised Trump’s action, calling it unacceptable and urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to defend the BBC and licence fee payers.
