President Donald Trump on Monday filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC for defamation over edited clips of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech, which made it appear that he directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol.
Trump accused the broadcaster of defaming him by splicing together parts of the speech, including one section where he told supporters to march on the Capitol and another where he said "fight like hell." It omitted a section in which he called for peaceful protest.
Trump's lawsuit alleges the BBC defamed him and violated a Florida law that bars deceptive and unfair trade practices. He is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the lawsuit's two counts.
The clip was featured on the BBC's "Panorama" documentary show shortly before the 2024 presidential election, sparking a public relations crisis for the broadcaster, leading to the resignations of its two most senior officials.
The British broadcaster has said it has no plans to rebroadcast the documentary on any of its platforms.
The BBC has apologized to Trump, admitted an error of judgment, and acknowledged that the edit gave the mistaken impression that he had made a direct call for violent action.
But it has said there is no legal basis to sue.
Trump filed his lawsuit in Miami federal court, saying that the BBC, despite its apology, "has made no showing of actual remorse for its wrongdoing nor meaningful institutional changes to prevent future journalistic abuses."
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