BBC to fight Trump’s US$10 billion lawsuit over edited Capitol riot speech clip

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced on 16 December, 2025, that it would contest a US$10 billion lawsuit brought by former United States President Donald Trump. The legal action concerns an edited clip in a BBC documentary that Trump alleges falsely portrayed him as inciting the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot.

A BBC spokesperson stated, “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case,” and added that no further comment would be made due to the ongoing nature of the legal proceedings.

Filed in a federal court in Miami, the lawsuit seeks at least US$5 billion in damages for each of two claims: defamation and violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The central allegation relates to a segment in the BBC’s Panorama programme, aired last year, which spliced together parts of Trump's speech from 6 January 2021. According to Trump, the edits made it appear that he had explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying the election victory of Joe Biden.

Trump, aged 79, had earlier suggested legal action was forthcoming, accusing the BBC of manipulating the footage. “They put words in my mouth... they used AI or something,” he said in remarks quoted by various US media outlets.

A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said the lawsuit accuses the BBC of intentionally and maliciously doctoring Trump’s speech “in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election.” The statement further alleged a “long pattern” of bias in the broadcaster’s coverage of Trump.

The documentary controversy escalated last month after renewed media scrutiny of the edited clip. The fallout led to the resignation of the BBC’s then Director-General Tim Davie and News Division head Deborah Turness.

The legal challenge comes at a politically delicate moment for the BBC. On the same day the lawsuit was confirmed, the British government launched a public consultation as part of its review of the BBC’s Royal Charter. The charter defines the broadcaster’s governance structure and funding model, which is up for renewal in 2027.

The consultation will assess public views on various issues, including the BBC’s commitment to accuracy and impartiality, and possible reforms to its licence fee-based funding mechanism.

Speaking to Sky News, Minister of State for Care Stephen Kinnock affirmed the government’s ongoing support for the public broadcaster. “The government is a massive supporter of the BBC,” he said, adding that the broadcaster had been “very clear” there was no basis for Trump’s accusations.

“I think it’s right the BBC stands firm on that point,” Kinnock said, in reference to the BBC's insistence that there was no defamation.

The case marks the latest in a series of lawsuits Donald Trump has filed against media organisations. In recent years, he has pursued claims against several outlets, with some cases resulting in multimillion-dollar settlements.

While the BBC has not released further details about its legal defence, media law experts suggest the broadcaster is likely to argue that the documentary falls within the bounds of editorial judgment and protected speech under both UK and US law.