U.S. President Donald Trump filed a civil lawsuit on Monday against the BBC in a Florida court, demanding $10 billion in damages.

The complaint accuses the British public broadcaster of defamation and deceptive business practices related to the editing of a speech Trump delivered on January 6, 2021, which was later used in a documentary aired ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

According to the 33-page filing, the BBC allegedly stitched together separate portions of Trump’s speech to create a continuous quote that, his legal team argues, altered the original meaning.

The lawsuit claims that key sections in which Trump called for a peaceful demonstration were omitted, resulting in a portrayal that misrepresented his message and harmed his public image during a critical electoral period.

Disputed footage appeared in the documentary Trump: A Second Chance?, broadcast by the network just days before the 2024 vote.

Program combined remarks delivered nearly an hour apart during the rally held before the storming of the U.S. Capitol, as Congress prepared to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump’s lawyers contend that the editing choice produced a misleading narrative with significant political consequences.

BBC’s statement

BBC previously acknowledged that the edit was an editorial error and issued a public apology. However, it denied that the content amounted to defamation and ruled out any legal compensation.

Controversy nevertheless triggered an internal review that led to the resignation of senior executives, including the organization’s director-general and its head of news.

Although the legal deadline to bring claims in British courts expired more than a year ago, the lawsuit was filed in the United States.

The complaint argues that the documentary remains accessible to American audiences through BritBox, a streaming platform that distributes BBC content domestically. As of now, the broadcaster has not issued a formal response to the newly filed lawsuit.