Former US President Donald Trump has initiated a monumental $10 billion legal action against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), alleging deliberate manipulation of his January 2021 speech preceding the Capitol riot. The lawsuit, filed in Miami’s federal court on December 15, 2025, accuses the broadcaster of deceptive editing practices that allegedly distorted Trump’s remarks to suggest he explicitly incited violence.
The legal challenge centers on a documentary aired on BBC’s flagship ‘Panorama’ program shortly before the 2024 presidential election. According to court documents, producers spliced together disparate segments of Trump’s address, creating the false impression that he directly encouraged supporters to storm the Capitol building where legislators were certifying President Biden’s electoral victory.
Trump’s legal representatives characterized the broadcast as “intentionally malicious and deceptive” editing designed to influence electoral outcomes. The 79-year-old former president previously suggested the broadcaster might have employed artificial intelligence technologies to alter his statements, though no evidence supports this claim.
The controversy has triggered significant organizational upheaval at the BBC, culminating in the resignation of both the director-general and top news executive following internal disclosures about the editing process. While BBC chairman Samir Shah has issued a formal apology and acknowledged the corporation’s delayed response to addressing the error, the organization maintains its position that the broadcast did not constitute legal defamation.
This litigation represents the latest in a series of high-profile legal actions Trump has pursued against media organizations, several of which have resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements. The case raises fundamental questions about media ethics, political broadcasting standards, and the legal boundaries of editorial discretion in election coverage.