President Donald Trump initiated legal action Monday against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), demanding more than $5 billion in damages from the international news organization over allegedly deceptive editing of remarks he delivered on January 6, 2021, during the Capitol riot.
The legal filing, submitted in federal court in Miami, accuses the BBC of “maliciously” combining two separate statements Trump made approximately 54 minutes apart during his speech that day.
This editing created a false impression that the President had encouraged his supporters toward violence while Congress prepared to count electoral votes, according to the complaint.
Trump’s legal team argues the editing could not have been accidental.
The lawsuit states that BBC journalists and producers would have needed to act with deliberate intent to splice together distinct portions of the speech separated by nearly 55 minutes of content.
A spokesperson for Trump indicated the President seeks over $10 billion total in damages from the news organization, reports Politico.
The demand includes at least $5 billion for defamation claims and an additional $5 billion or more for alleged violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. However, court documents filed by Trump’s attorneys list the total damages sought at $5 billion.
The BBC issued an apology to Trump last month regarding the spliced footage, Resist the Mainstream reported.
Despite this acknowledgment, the network maintained the editing did not constitute grounds for a defamation lawsuit.
A BBC spokesperson responded to the litigation, stating the organization plans to mount a defense. The spokesperson added that the BBC would refrain from additional comments on the ongoing legal proceedings, per Politico.
This lawsuit represents Trump’s most recent attempt to secure substantial financial compensation from media organizations he has frequently criticized.
Politico added that a previous lawsuit against CNN, which sought damages over the network’s characterization of Trump’s 2020 election fraud claims as “big lie,” was dismissed by a federal appeals court.
Trump has achieved some success in his legal battles against media companies.
The president reached multimillion-dollar settlements with both ABC and CBS in separate lawsuits where he alleged false reporting or misleading editing practices.
Additional legal actions initiated by Trump against The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal continue to move through the courts.
Trump currently faces a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., connected to his January 6 speech.
Lawmakers and police officers who sustained injuries during that day’s events claim his statements incited the violent disturbance at the Capitol that endangered the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
The judge overseeing that Washington case determined that Trump’s call for supporters to march “peacefully” to the Capitol came after many rally attendees had already departed.
The judge found Trump’s speech contained inflammatory language that a single mention of “peaceful” conduct may not have been adequate to reduce the crowd’s anger, Politico said.
WATCH:
Legal analysts predict the BBC will contest whether the federal court possesses jurisdiction over this case.
The network has asserted the documentary in question did not broadcast in the United States and its digital version remained unavailable to American viewers.
