Trump files $10bn lawsuit against BBC for defamation

Donald Trump has filed a $10bn defamation lawsuit against the BBC over the edit of a 6 January 2021 speech broadcast by Panorama that sparked a crisis at the broadcaster.

- HARRIETTE BOUCHER

In a lawsuit filed late yesterday in a federal court in Miami, President Trump accused the BBC of defaming him and of violating Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, according to multiple outlets. Mr Trump is demanding $5bn for each offence.

In a statement to the New York Times, the president's legal team said the lawsuit was designed to hold the British network accountable for what it described as wrongdoing.

“The formerly respected and now disgraced BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring his speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 presidential election,” the statement reportedly said.

Speaking to reporters in Washington DC earlier yesterday, the US president accused the BBC of “putting terrible words in my mouth that I didn’t say” and suggested they “may have used AI”.

The show, aired just a week prior to the 2024 US election results, is accused of misleading viewers by editing a speech Mr Trump delivered on 6 January 2021.