Trump sues BBC for defamation over Panorama speech edit

US President Donald Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the BBC over the editing of his speech in the Panorama documentary dated January 6, 2021.

Trump sought billions of dollars in damages, according to court documents filed in Florida.

The BBC apologized to Trump in November but rejected his claims for compensation and stated that there was “no basis for the defamation claim”.

Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of defaming him by “deliberately, maliciously and deceptively doctoring his speech.” The BBC has not yet responded to the lawsuit.

Trump sued the publisher on one count of defamation and one count of violating Florida trade practices law, according to the filing.

Trump said last month that he planned to sue the BBC over the editing of his January 6 speech as part of the Panorama documentary broadcast in the UK ahead of the 2024 US elections.

“I guess I have to do it,” Trump told reporters of his plans to sue. “They cheated. They changed the words that came out of my mouth.”

“We will march to the Capitol and support our brave senators, congressmen and women,” he told supporters in Washington during his Jan. 6 speech.

More than 50 minutes later, he said in his speech: “And we’re fighting. We’re fighting like crazy.”

A clip on the Panorama show showed him saying: “We’re going to march to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we’re fighting. We’re fighting like crazy.”

The BBC acknowledged that the edit itself gave the “false impression” that it “directly called for violent action”.