Trump Lawsuits Against The Media
Segment #669
Trump vs BBC - November 18, 2025
With the Trump history of filing lawsuits against the media it is politically and financially stupid to defame Trump. The good news.. the media is building his library.
Latest on Trump vs. BBC Lawsuit (as of November 18, 2025)The dispute stems from a BBC Panorama documentary titled "Trump: A Second Chance?", aired on October 28, 2024, just before the U.S. presidential election. The program edited excerpts from Trump's January 6, 2021, speech to the Capitol riot crowd, splicing non-consecutive parts to imply he directly incited violence (e.g., combining "We're going to walk down to the Capitol... and we fight like hell"). A leaked internal BBC memo, revealed by The Daily Telegraph in early November 2025, criticized the edit as misleading, triggering a crisis at the broadcaster.Key Timeline of Events
Date
Development
Oct 28, 2024
Panorama airs; documentary removed from BBC's online player after initial backlash.
Nov 3, 2025 (Sun)
BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness resign amid scandal. BBC Chair Samir Shah apologizes for "error of judgment" but denies institutional bias.
Nov 10, 2025
Trump's lawyers send cease-and-desist letter demanding retraction, apology, and $1 billion in damages; threatens suit in U.S. (likely Florida) if unmet by Nov 15.
Nov 12, 2025
Trump tells Fox News he has an "obligation" to sue, calling the edit "egregious" and "defrauding the public."
Nov 14, 2025
BBC issues formal apology in its Corrections section for the Panorama edit (and a similar 2022 Newsnight clip); refuses compensation, citing no defamation. UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy defends BBC's independence.
Nov 15, 2025
Trump ups ante on Air Force One, saying he'll sue for $1–5 billion "next week"; compares to CBS 60 Minutes edit (settled for $16M in July 2025). No filing in Florida courts yet. UK PM Keir Starmer reportedly "embarrassed," seeks call with Trump.
Nov 16, 2025
Trump reiterates intent on GB News, calling BBC "corrupt" and "beyond fake news."
Nov 18, 2025 (today)
BBC Chair Samir Shah tells staff the corporation is "determined to fight" any lawsuit, insisting "no basis for a defamation claim." Legal analysts predict Trump faces hurdles but could pressure a settlement. No suit filed; discovery phase could expose more BBC issues if pursued.
Trump's Position
Claims the edit "butchered" his "beautiful, calming" speech, causing reputational and financial harm.
Views lawsuit as deterrent: "If you don't do it, you don't stop it from happening again."
Likely venue: Florida (his residency), where he could leverage public figure status but must prove "actual malice" (knowing falsehood or reckless disregard) under U.S. First Amendment protections.
Precedent: Recent wins include $16M from Paramount (CBS) and $15M from ABC over similar edit/defamation claims.
BBC's Response
Apologized for "misleading" edit but argues: (1) Program not broadcast in U.S., limiting harm/jurisdiction; (2) Clip was 12 seconds in a balanced hour-long show; (3) Strong U.S. free speech laws protect opinion on public matters.
No public funds for settlement; internal fallout includes executive resignations and charter review scrutiny.
Experts (e.g., Media Law Resource Center) call $1–5B "meaningless" and note Trump's history of threats > actual wins; UK statute of limitations (1 year) already expired.
Potential Outcomes
Settlement? Possible, like U.S. cases, to avoid costs—though BBC insists on fighting.
Trial Hurdles for Trump: Must show malice, quantifiable damages; foreign entity (BBC) adds complexity. Analysts say low odds of billion-dollar win but "considerable" damages if edit deemed defamatory.
Broader Impact: UK politicians (e.g., Lib Dems' Ed Davey) urge Starmer to intervene for BBC independence. Trump could use it to rally against "fake news." X discussions today focus on BBC's defiance and U.S. court challenges.
No lawsuit filed as of now; watch for filings post-weekend. Updates could come from Trump-Starmer call or court dockets.
Notable Lawsuits Filed by Donald Trump Against Media OutletsDonald Trump has a long history of filing lawsuits against media outlets, primarily alleging defamation, election interference, or misleading coverage. These cases often seek massive damages (frequently in the billions) and are described by critics as strategic efforts to intimidate the press, though many settle out of court without admission of wrongdoing. Below is a list of key lawsuits based on public records up to November 2025, focusing on those directly initiated by Trump or his companies (e.g., Trump Media & Technology Group). I've prioritized major or recent cases, noting filing dates, allegations, outcomes, and settlements where applicable.
Other Trump Media Lawsuits
ABC News (Disney) March 2024
Defamation by host George Stephanopoulos, who repeatedly stated Trump was found liable for "rape" in the E. Jean Carroll civil case (actual verdict: sexual abuse and defamation).
$1 billion+ (exact amount not specified in filings)
Settled December 2024 for $15 million (paid to a future presidential library foundation; no admission of liability).
CBS News (Paramount Global) October 2024
Deceptive editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris to favor Democrats, constituting "election interference."
$10 billion
Settled July 2025 for $16 million (to presidential library; no admission of liability).
The New York Times - September 2025
Defamation via articles, an editorial, and the book Lucky Loser by journalists (e.g., Russ Buettner, Susanne Craig) alleging Trump squandered his father's fortune.
$15 billion
Dismissed by federal judge in Florida for being overly verbose (85 pages of "florid" language); Trump refiled a shortened 40-page version in October 2025; ongoing.
The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones/News Corp) - July 2025
Defamation over a story claiming Trump wrote a lewd birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 (Trump calls it "fake"). Sued the outlet, owner Rupert Murdoch, and reporters.
$10 billion
Ongoing; judge upheld the suit but criticized its length; WSJ vows to defend vigorously.
Des Moines Register & Pollster Ann Selzer (Gannett) - December 2024
Consumer fraud and false advertising for a pre-election poll showing Harris leading by 3 points in Iowa (Trump won the state); alleged the poll was rigged for "election interference."
$15 million+ (plus injunction)
Ongoing; filed under state consumer protection laws to bypass defamation hurdles.
Truth Social-related (20+ outlets, including Newsweek, Forbes, Axios, MSNBC, Reuters, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Rolling Stone, The Hill, Daily Beast, etc.)
November 2023
Defamation and "injurious falsehood" for reporting Truth Social lost $73 million (corrected to $31.6 million by some outlets). Filed by Trump Media & Technology Group.
$1.5 billion + injunction
Many outlets corrected stories; most claims dismissed or dropped; no major settlements reported for individual outlets.
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) 2023 (filed post-Jan. 6, 2021 suspension)
Violation of First Amendment rights by suspending Trump's accounts after the Capitol riot; alleged censorship.
Not specified (damages-focused)
Settled 2025 for $25 million; accounts reinstated earlier.
The Washington Post May 2024 (related to earlier threats)
Defamation over opinion columns on the 2020 election and Russia ties.
$3.78 billion (in related Truth Social filing)
Dropped or settled quietly; Post defended under First Amendment; no admission of liability.
CNN - 2018 (pre-presidency escalation)
Defamation for a dossier story linking Trump to Russia.
$1 billion+
Dismissed 2019 by federal judge; appeals failed; Trump lost.
Palm Beach Post - 2022 (local escalation)
Defamation over election coverage and local zoning disputes.
Not specified
Settled 2023 for undisclosed amount; outlet issued correction.
Key Notes
Patterns: Most suits target critical coverage of Trump's business, personal life, or elections. Defamation claims are hard for public figures like Trump to win due to the "actual malice" standard from New York Times v. Sullivan (1964), so many settle to avoid costs.
2025 Surge: Post-reelection, Trump filed or escalated 5+ major suits, tying records for media litigation. Allies like FCC Chair Brendan Carr have launched parallel investigations into outlets like NPR/PBS (funding cuts of $1.1 billion proposed).
Broader Impact: Legal experts view these as "SLAPP suits" (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) to chill journalism, with settlements totaling ~$56 million in 2025 alone (mostly to non-profits). Trump has vowed more, including threats against BBC ($1 billion potential) and Jimmy Kimmel/ABC.
Exclusions: This list omits suits against non-media (e.g., individuals, authors like Bob Woodward) or where Trump was defendant (e.g., Dominion vs. Fox). Older cases (e.g., 1980s vs. Timothy O'Brien) are summarized if influential.