Trump Files $50 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC

US President Donald Trump has filed a $50 billion defamation lawsuit against British broadcaster BBC, accusing the network of distorting his January 6, 2021 speech in its Panorama documentary.

The BBC reported the development on Tuesday.

According to the report, the lawsuit centers on remarks Trump made on January 6, 2021, during a speech to supporters gathered in Washington, DC. In that speech, Trump said, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” About 50 minutes later in the same address, he added, “And we’re going to fight. We’re going to fight like hell.”

However, the Panorama program allegedly edited the two separate statements together and aired them as a single line, portraying Trump as saying, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and we’re going to fight. We’re going to fight like hell.”

Court filings submitted in a Florida court accuse the BBC of defamation and violations of laws related to commercial activity. Trump’s lawyers claim the broadcaster “knowingly and fraudulently” edited the speech in a way that damaged the president’s reputation.

Trump has alleged that the BBC deliberately altered his January 6 remarks and presented them to the public in a misleading manner. “They stole my words and changed them,” he said.

The BBC has since issued an apology to Trump, acknowledging that the editing created a “false impression” and could have suggested that Trump was directly calling for “violence or physical confrontation.” However, the broadcaster has rejected Trump’s demand for financial compensation, insisting there is no legal basis for a defamation claim.

Last month, amid mounting criticism over the controversy, BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Director of News Deborah Turness reportedly stepped down after admitting editorial errors. Despite this, Trump has continued to express anger, labeling the BBC a “left-wing propaganda organization.”

The lawsuit marks a major escalation in Trump’s long-running criticism of international media coverage of his presidency and the events surrounding January 6.