Kathmandu – US President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against the BBC over the editing of his speech given on January 6, 2021, in a documentary on Panorama. Trump is seeking billions of dollars in damages, according to documents filed in a Florida court.
The BBC apologized to Trump in November, but rejected his demand for compensation. The BBC said it had “no basis for the defamation claim.” Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of damaging his image by “deliberately editing his speech in a malicious and misleading manner.” The BBC has not yet responded to the lawsuit since the lawsuit was filed.
According to court documents, Trump has also filed a lawsuit against the BBC on other charges of defamation and violating Florida’s trade practices law.
Trump’s January 6 speech was edited as it was in a documentary on Panorama last month. He said he planned to sue the BBC over it. The documentary was broadcast in the UK ahead of the 2024 US election.
What is the Panorama edit controversy?
In his speech on January 6, 2021, Trump told supporters gathered in Washington, D.C., “We will march to the Capitol and support our brave senators and congressmen and congresswomen.” More than 50 minutes into the speech, he added, “And we will fight.”
However, a clip shown on the BBC’s Panorama program showed Trump saying, “We will march on the Capitol… and I will be there with you. And we will fight. We will fight with all our might.” The BBC admitted that the edits had created the wrong impression that Trump was “directly calling for violent action.”
BBC Director General Tim Davey and Head of News Deborah Turnes resigned last month following developments related to this issue. Agency
