A British Labour Party lawmaker is urging the BBC to stand firm as it faces a major defamation lawsuit from President Donald Trump, who accuses the broadcaster of deceptively editing his Jan. 6, 2021, remarks in a documentary aired last year.
Stephen Kinnock, a Labour member of Parliament, told Sky News on Tuesday that the BBC should "stick by their guns" despite acknowledging errors in the edited footage at the center of the case.
"I think it's right that the BBC stands firm on that point," Kinnock said.
While conceding that "some mistakes were made in that particular piece of film," he argued that the network's broader position is defensible. Kinnock added that the BBC has apologized for the edits but maintains that "there is no case to answer" regarding President Trump's allegations of libel or defamation.
Kinnock, calling himself "a massive supporter" of the publicly funded broadcaster, described the BBC as a "vitally important institution" in British political life and public discourse.
Trump's lawsuit alleges that the BBC "maliciously, falsely, and defamatorily" edited his speech to make it appear he explicitly called for violence ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. The claims stem from the BBC's October 2024 documentary, "Trump: A Second Chance?"
According to the complaint, the documentary selectively edited Trump's remarks to imply he incited rioting, a charge Trump has repeatedly denied. The BBC issued an apology to the White House last month after Trump and his legal team threatened legal action and confirmed it would not rebroadcast the documentary on any of its platforms.
Despite the apology, Trump proceeded with the lawsuit, seeking $5 billion in damages. The filing accuses the BBC of engaging in "a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence" the 2024 U.S. presidential election and alleges the editing reflected a long-standing pattern of biased coverage.
"Doctoring his Speech was consistent with, and part of, the BBC's modus operandi of negatively covering President Trump without any pretense of objectivity," the lawsuit states.
Trump specifically objected to the documentary's use of edited clips in which he is shown saying, "We're going down to the Capitol, and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell."
However, Trump's full remarks included additional language that was not shown in the documentary. At the rally, he said supporters would "walk down to the Capitol" to "cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women," adding that Americans must "show strength" in demanding Congress count only "lawfully slated" electors.
"You'll never take back our country with weakness," Trump said at the time. "You have to show strength, and you have to be strong."
The case is expected to draw renewed scrutiny over media editing practices, political bias, and the role of international broadcasters in U.S. elections.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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