Rewritten Story:
US President Donald Trump has taken legal action against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), filing a lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion in damages over a documentary he claims falsely portrayed him as inciting the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
The suit, filed Monday in a federal court in Miami, demands a minimum of $5 billion each on two grounds—defamation and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Trump alleges the claims stem from a Panorama documentary aired by the BBC ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.
According to court filings, the documentary edited together two different parts of Trump’s speech to supporters on January 6, creating the impression that he explicitly urged them to attack the Capitol while Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s election victory.
Trump, 79, said the broadcaster “completely distorted” his remarks, insisting that the network inserted words he never said. He suggested the clip may have been digitally manipulated, claiming, “They put words in my mouth.”
In a statement, Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of deliberately doctoring the footage to harm his electoral prospects, describing the broadcast as a calculated political hit job timed close to the 2024 election.
“The BBC intentionally misled viewers by fabricating a narrative around President Trump’s speech in order to influence the election outcome,” the statement said, accusing the broadcaster of longstanding bias against him.
The controversy has reportedly deepened internal crisis at the BBC. Fresh attention on the edited clip last month led to public backlash and ultimately the resignation of the corporation’s director-general and its head of news.
Trump’s lawsuit argues that the documentary was broadcast just days before the election as part of a deliberate effort to sway voters against him. The BBC has not yet issued an official response to the legal action.
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