Former US President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), accusing the publicly funded broadcaster of misleading editing in a documentary related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in Miami federal court, seeks $10 billion in damages.
According to court filings, Trump alleges that the BBC edited clips from his January 6 speech in a way that falsely suggested he encouraged supporters to storm the US Capitol. The lawsuit claims the broadcaster combined excerpts in which Trump told supporters to “march on the Capitol” and to “fight like hell,” while omitting a segment where he urged peaceful protest.
Trump argues that the edited footage caused severe reputational and financial harm. He is pursuing damages of $5 billion under defamation claims and an additional $5 billion under Florida’s deceptive and unfair trade practices law.
The BBC has acknowledged an error of judgment and issued an apology, stating that the edit gave a mistaken impression of Trump’s remarks. However, the broadcaster has denied any legal wrongdoing and maintains that there is no valid legal basis for the lawsuit.
In a statement cited in the lawsuit, Trump said the BBC’s apology failed to demonstrate genuine remorse or meaningful institutional reform to prevent future editorial errors.
The controversy stems from a “Panorama” documentary aired shortly before the 2024 US presidential election. The program triggered one of the most significant crises in the BBC’s 103-year history, leading to the resignations of two senior executives and an internal investigation into editorial standards. The BBC has confirmed that the documentary will not be rebroadcast on any of its platforms.
Although the documentary was not aired in the United States, Trump’s legal team chose to file the case in US court, where defamation claims are not restricted by the one-year filing deadline that applies under UK law.
Legal experts note that to succeed, Trump must meet the high bar set by the US Constitution, proving not only that the edit was false and damaging, but also that the BBC acted with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth.
The BBC may argue that the documentary was substantially accurate and that its editorial decisions did not materially alter the overall meaning of Trump’s speech. It could also contend that the program caused no measurable damage to Trump’s reputation.
Trump has pursued multiple lawsuits against media organizations in recent years. CBS and ABC previously settled legal disputes with him following his return to the White House after the 2024 election. Ongoing cases involving the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and an Iowa newspaper remain unresolved, with all outlets denying wrongdoing.
The January 6 Capitol attack occurred as Congress met to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, a process that was disrupted by a violent breach of the building by Trump supporters.
