Team Donald Trump publicly criticized the BBC amid an ongoing legal battle over a documentary produced by the broadcaster.
A Trump spokesman said the network "distorted" the president's speech and used it in the documentary with malicious intent.
Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages in his libel suit and has refused to provide financial documents requested by the BBC's lawyers. The broadcaster claims this information is necessary to assess the reputational and financial damage Trump claims he suffered as a result of the documentary.
Donald Trump's team says the BBC must be held accountable.
In a statement to the Financial Times, a representative of Trump's legal team explained why the president refuses to drop his ongoing libel suit against the BBC following the release of the Panorama documentary, which aired in October 2024.
A spokesperson for the network stated that the BBC is responsible for "deliberately and maliciously" defaming Trump by distorting and manipulating his statements. He also criticized the network's legal strategy, accusing it of attempting to evade liability in the case. "No legal maneuvering can change this fact," the spokesperson said. "President Trump will continue to hold the BBC and all those who spread fake news accountable.".
The BBC apologised but denied defamation.
The BBC documentary Panorama provided a behind-the-scenes look at Trump's criminal cases, ongoing legal proceedings, and the events surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack on Capitol Hill.
Trump's speech that day was also shown in the documentary, but he later claimed in his lawsuit that the footage was edited to mislead and create the impression that he was inciting immediate violence after his election defeat.
Following intense public scrutiny, the BBC has apologised to Trump over the Panorama documentary, admitting the controversial edit was an "error of judgment".
However, the network rejected Trump's demand for compensation and denied his claim that the documentary had tarnished his reputation.
Donald Trump is demanding $10 billion from the BBC.
On December 15, Trump filed a lawsuit against the network, alleging that its actions also violated Florida's Trade Practices Act.
He is seeking a staggering $10 billion in damages, claiming the documentary caused significant reputational and financial damage. Trump also claimed the program diminished the value of his "brand, properties, and business interests.".
After the lawsuit was filed, a BBC spokesman said the broadcaster would "defend" its interests rather than settle.
The BBC has since tried to have the case dismissed, arguing that the documentary was never broadcast in the United States and therefore not within the jurisdiction of the Florida court where Trump filed his lawsuit.
Trump denied the BBC's request for documents.
Ahead of the trial, scheduled for February 2027, the BBC has requested financial documents from Trump to help determine whether he suffered the reputational and financial losses alleged in his lawsuit.
As part of that effort, the network issued a subpoena to the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, which is now the legal owner of many of the president's business interests and assets.
If the request is granted, the BBC will gain access to information on almost 400 organisations owned or linked to the trust, including tax records and key details about its assets and value.
However, Trump remains adamantly opposed to providing the requested information, despite the subpoena.
Donald Trump called the BBC a "fake organization.".
Trump has not been shy about verbally criticizing the BBC as his legal battle with the broadcaster continues.
Last month, he criticized the publication during a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One. These remarks came after Trump answered a question from a reporter claiming to be from the BBC, prompting the president to launch an angry tirade against the network.
«"You mean the people who put words in my mouth, using AI," Trump said, according to the Daily Mail. "The people who made me say a statement they now admit was false. The people who put horrible words in my mouth and were then forced to admit they were fake. The people who don't know what to do. Do you work for the BBC? It's another fake organization.".
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