Trump Files $10 Billion Lawsuit Against BBC Over Alleged Defamation

President Donald Trump sued the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Miami federal court, seeking $10 billion in damages over a Panorama documentary he claims defamed him and interfered with the 2024 presidential election.

The lawsuit centers on a documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance,” which aired one week before the election. Trump alleges the program falsely portrayed him as explicitly urging supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol during his Jan. 6, 2021 speech outside the White House. According to the complaint, the BBC edited separate statements made nearly 55 minutes apart to create a misleading sequence that Trump says he never uttered.

Trump’s legal filing accuses the BBC of producing a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction” of him, and claims internal concerns about the edit were raised but ignored. The suit seeks $5 billion for defamation and $5 billion for alleged violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The BBC previously apologized for what its chair called an “error of judgment” in editing the footage and said it would not air the documentary again. The broadcaster has also seen its director general and head of news resign following the controversy. Despite the apology, the BBC stated it “strongly disagrees there is a basis for a defamation claim.”

Trump has framed the lawsuit as part of a broader effort to hold media organizations accountable. In recent months, he has filed or settled multiple high-profile defamation cases against major outlets, including The New York Times, CBS, ABC, and publishers linked to The Wall Street Journal, some resulting in multimillion-dollar settlements.

The BBC case now adds to Trump’s expanding legal battle with the press, underscoring rising tensions between the former president and global media organizations over coverage, editorial judgment, and election-related reporting.