Former US President Donald Trump has taken legal action against the BBC regarding the editing of a speech he delivered to his supporters before the well-known Capitol riots of 2021. Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages from the media outlet for their broadcast of the speech on the Panorama program.
Trump hinted at the lawsuit earlier on Monday, expressing that the BBC had misrepresented his words. The lawsuit pertains to a specific Panorama episode aired a week before the 2024 US election.
During a statement at the Oval Office on Monday, Trump announced, “I’m taking legal action against the BBC for distorting my statements. They literally fabricated my words.”
The episode in question combined segments of Trump’s speech to suggest he urged the crowd to march to the Capitol and engage in a confrontation. However, these excerpts were taken from different parts of his speech delivered nearly an hour apart.
The BBC issued an apology for the editing error, acknowledging a lapse in judgment but asserting there was no legal foundation for Trump’s claim.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team condemned the editing as a deliberate attempt to influence the presidential election, criticizing the BBC for what they perceived as biased reporting against Trump.
The lawsuit has been filed in the southern district of Florida, alleging defamation and violation of a Florida trade practices law. Each count seeks $5 billion in damages.
In response to Trump’s demands for compensation, the BBC rejected the claims of defamation, stating there was no basis for such allegations. However, Trump’s legal team maintains that the BBC intentionally defamed him through deceptive editing practices.
The lawsuit was filed in Trump’s personal capacity, naming the BBC and BBC Studios Productions as defendants. His legal representation includes attorneys Alejandro Brito, Edward Paltzik, and Daniel Epstein.
Following the incident, the BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, and the head of BBC News, Deborah Turness, resigned, acknowledging errors in judgment and accepting responsibility for the situation.
Trump denies any responsibility for the incident, which occurred during the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 US presidential election.