Trump sues BBC for $10 billion over January 6 edit

Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC over a 2024 “Panorama” documentary that edited his January 6, 2021, speech to supporters before the U.S. Capitol riot. The Miami federal court filing demands at least $5 billion per count for alleged defamation and breach of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Trump alleges the broadcaster spliced his words, highlighting calls to “march on the Capitol” and to “fight like hell” while omitting sections urging peaceful protest, creating a false impression he endorsed violence. The BBC has apologised, acknowledged a “judgment error” and denied any legal liability.

The episode, which was not aired in the U.S., triggered a public relations crisis at the BBC, leading to the resignations of its two most senior officials and scrutiny over editorial bias. Funded by mandatory UK TV licence fees, any payout could prove politically fraught.

Legal experts say Trump faces an uphill battle: U.S. free speech protections require proving the BBC knowingly misled viewers or acted recklessly. The broadcaster may counter that the edit was substantially true and did not damage Trump’s reputation.

Trump has previously sued other media outlets, including CBS, ABC, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, with mixed results. The latest suit underscores his ongoing legal offensives over media coverage of the January 6 attack, a defining moment in the fallout from his 2020 election loss.

With stakes this high, the case is set to test the limits of defamation law, editorial judgement, and the reach of free speech across borders.