A new lawsuit against the BBC caps a year in which Trump intensified attacks on the media, while expanding his influence through Truth Social.
- President Donald Trump has filed a defamation suit against the BBC, his latest jibe at news media he has found to be critical.
- The President has been increasingly vocal about critical outlets and anchors in his second term, often posting outright attacks on his Truth Social page.
- With Truth Social as his personal megaphone, Trump’s criticism is said to have contributed to programming changes at least at CBS.
U.S. President Donald Trump has sued the BBC and seeks $5 billion in damages over an edit of his January 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary, which aired just before the 2024 U.S. elections and misrepresented Trump as directly calling for violence at the Capitol.
The BBC had earlier apologised for the edit but disregarded his claims of defamation and potential compensation.
The lawsuit caps a year marked by Trump’s escalating criticism of news outlets and anchors he deems as hostile, coupled with a broader effort to exert influence over media operations and amplify his reach via Truth Social.
Trump Going Against Outlets, Anchors
Trump has frequently accused networks ABC (owned by The Walt Disney Co.) and NBC (owned by Comcast Corp.) of peddling “fake news” and serving as the mouthpieces of the Democratic Party. The pressure from the President is said to have contributed to the cancellation of CBS’s widely popular "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" in July, and the transition of CBS Morning show host Gayle King out of the program.
Talk show hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon have been regular targets, with Trump batting for their removal. "These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television. It's really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!” he said in July, just after Colbert’s show was cancelled. Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon have a history of making satirical remarks about Trump.
In fact, ABC briefly pulled Kimmel’s show in September over the anchor’s insensitive remarks related to the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk. That happened after Disney faced pushback from Republicans and specific TV Networks that carry Disney programming.
Federal Overreach?
Trump was visibly pleased, but his suggestion to revoke television licenses – authority held by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), currently led by Trump appointee and Republican Brendan Carr – has raised concerns about potential overreach and politicized federal oversight.
More recently, Trump has inserted himself into mega-media deals. He has said he’s not in favour of easing a cap on TV station ownership, essential for the $6.2 billion merger of Nexstar and Tegna to proceed, and wants Warner Bros.’ ABC network to be sold as part of its buyout.
Last year, Trump won a $16-million settlement from Paramount over the editing of an October 2024 "60 Minutes" interview with the then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Some believe Paramount’s accommodating stance later helped clear its merger with Skydance.
The President’s key vehicle has been Truth Social, the social media site owned by his firm, Trump Media & Technology Group. Trump has announced major moves, including updates to his tariff plans that rocked global markets earlier this year, and shared opinions on a host of matters through his Truth Social page, making the site his personal megaphone.
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