President Trump filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against the BBC, accusing the network of misleadingly editing a documentary that spliced portions of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech on the Ellipse.
Filed in the Southern District of Florida, the suit alleges defamation and violations of Florida trade practices law, seeking $5 billion in damages on each count. Trump’s attorneys say the BBC aired a “false, defamatory, and malicious” portrayal of the president in a documentary broadcast in the U.K. one week before the 2024 election.
The complaint alleges the BBC intentionally spliced together two excerpts from Trump’s speech that were 55 minutes apart, omitting his call for peace and creating a misleading impression of his remarks before the Capitol riot. The filing also claims internal concerns were raised ahead of the broadcast but ignored.
“I’m suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth, literally,” Trump said Monday. “They had me saying things that I never said.”
Trump had previously demanded a retraction and compensation. While the BBC apologized in November, it declined to pay damages. The lawsuit argues the apology showed no meaningful remorse or corrective action.
