By Blessing Nweke
President Donald Trump on Monday filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, alleging that the British public broadcaster deceptively edited his Jan. 6, 2021, speech in a 2024 documentary in a way that damaged his reputation and interfered with the U.S. presidential election.
In a 33-page complaint filed in federal court in Miami, Trump’s attorneys requested a jury trial and accused the BBC of airing a documentary just one week before the 2024 election that was “a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the Election’s outcome to President Trump’s detriment.” The suit claims the program omitted key remarks in which Trump urged his supporters to act peacefully.
According to the filing, the documentary excluded Trump’s statement: “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” while presenting his comments in a way that suggested he directly incited violence.
The BBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night. However, correspondence included in the court filing shows that Charles B. Tobin, an attorney representing the BBC, previously told Trump’s legal team that the broadcaster “had no intention of misleading anyone.” Tobin said the BBC offered a public correction, a personal apology to Trump sent by email, and an online retraction.
BBC Chairman Samir Shah has also acknowledged that the documentary’s editing “gave the mistaken impression” that Trump made a direct call for violent action, calling it an “error of judgment.”
Trump previewed the lawsuit earlier Monday while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, accusing the BBC of misrepresenting his words. “They actually put terrible words in my mouth that I didn’t say,” he said, adding that positive remarks about patriotism were left out.
Trump has repeatedly threatened legal action against major media organizations. He recently secured a $16 million settlement from Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, over an allegedly edited “60 Minutes” interview, and ABC agreed last year to pay $15 million to resolve a defamation dispute involving anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Original article
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