Trump files $10bn lawsuit against BBC over edited documentary speech

US President Donald Trump on Monday filed a lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion in damages from the BBC, alleging that a documentary improperly edited his 2021 speech to supporters ahead of the US Capitol riot.

Filed in federal court in Miami, the suit seeks “damages in an amount not less than $5 billion” on each of two counts against the British broadcaster, citing alleged defamation and violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Trump, 79, had earlier signalled the legal action, accusing the BBC of “putting words in my mouth” and even suggesting the use of artificial intelligence to alter his remarks.

The documentary in question aired last year, ahead of the 2024 election, on the BBC’s flagship current affairs programme Panorama. It featured an edited version of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech that combined two separate portions in a way that, according to the lawsuit, falsely suggested he explicitly urged supporters to attack the US Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

In a statement to AFP, a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said the “formerly respected and now disgraced BBC” had “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively” doctored the speech in a “brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election.” The statement further alleged a longstanding pattern of biased coverage driven by a “leftist political agenda.”

The BBC, whose reach extends far beyond the UK, faced renewed scrutiny last month after media reports resurfaced the edited clip, triggering a major controversy. The fallout led to the resignations of the BBC director-general and the corporation’s top news executive.

Trump’s lawsuit claims the altered speech was “fabricated and aired” just one week before the 2024 election in an effort to influence the outcome against him. While the BBC has denied the defamation allegations, its chairman, Samir Shah, has sent Trump a letter of apology.

Shah also told a UK parliamentary committee last month that the broadcaster should have acted more swiftly after the error was identified in an internal memo that was later leaked to The Daily Telegraph.

The case marks the latest in a series of lawsuits Trump has filed against media organisations in recent years, several of which have resulted in multi-million-dollar settlements.