WASHINGTON (AP) — On Monday, President Donald Trump initiated a lawsuit against the BBC, seeking $10 billion in damages. The lawsuit accuses the British broadcaster of defamation as well as engaging in deceptive and unfair trade practices.
The 33-page legal document delineates that the BBC allegedly utilized a "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction" of President Trump. The lawsuit articulates that this was a "brazen attempt to interfere in and influence" the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Central to the lawsuit is the assertion that the BBC intentionally misrepresented Trump's words by "splicing together two entirely separate parts" of his speech delivered on January 6, 2021. The complaint claims this editing was done to distort the meaning of Trump's statements. The BBC has yet to provide a public comment in response to the lawsuit according to reports from The Associated Press.
Prior to this lawsuit, the BBC had issued an apology last month concerning its editing of Trump's January 6 speech. Nevertheless, the broadcaster firmly denied any allegations of defamation following Trump's threat of legal action. BBC chairman Samir Shah described the incident as "an error of judgment," which led to the resignations of the BBC's top executive and its head of news.
The speech in question occurred just prior to the storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump's supporters, a chaotic episode that took place while Congress was preparing to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election, a victory that Trump has falsely claimed was stolen from him.
The BBC aired an hour-long documentary titled "Trump: A Second Chance?" days before the crucial 2024 U.S. presidential election. This documentary reportedly spliced quotes from Trump's speech, combining segments delivered nearly an hour apart into a single quote that made it appear as though Trump urged his supporters to "march with him and fight like hell." Critics pointed out that significant context was omitted, including a moment where Trump called for peaceful demonstrations.
During an Oval Office appearance earlier on the same day as the lawsuit was filed, Trump expressed his grievances, stating, "They actually put terrible words in my mouth having to do with Jan. 6 that I didn’t say." He further asserted that he had spoken "beautiful words" pertaining to patriotism which the BBC chose not to include in its reporting.
Trump's lawsuit was lodged in Florida, as the timeframe for pursuing such a case in British courts had elapsed over a year ago. Legal analysts have suggested potential complications for a U.S. case, given that the BBC's documentary was not broadcast within the United States. However, the lawsuit claims that U.S. audiences have access to the BBC's content, including the "Panorama" series via the streaming platform BritBox.
The BBC, which has been serving the public for over a century, is primarily funded through an annual license fee of £174.50 (approximately $230) levied on each household watching live television or BBC content. Stipulated by its charter to maintain impartiality, the BBC often faces rigorous scrutiny and criticism from both conservative and liberal factions.
