British Broadcasting Corporation Branded as "100% False Information" by Donald Trump's Press Secretary

Donald Trump's press secretary has described the BBC as "100% fake news" and a "biased media outlet" in a forthright discussion. These remarks follow allegations of partiality at the broadcaster.

Senior Administration Figure Criticizes BBC Coverage

The White House official, a senior representative in the Trump administration, stated that viewing BBC news reports during visits to the UK "spoils" her day. She claimed that the public are "compelled to foot the bill for a liberal propaganda machine."

Dispute Over Edited Speech

The spokesperson's statements came after lawmakers said the corporation had "significant concerns to answer" regarding how a speech by the US president was edited in a BBC Panorama program.

A document leaked to a publication suggested that an episode of the current affairs programme "thoroughly deceived" viewers by combining two parts of the oration together.

The programme showed the president saying he would walk with his followers to the Capitol ahead of the riots on January 6th, urging them to "fight like hell". However, it excluded a section of the talk where he urged the assembly "to express views calmly and loyally".

“This purposefully dishonest, selectively edited clip by the BBC is further evidence that they are total, 100% fake news that should no longer be worth the time on the television screens of the great people of the United Kingdom.”

Leavitt added: "Every time I journey to the United Kingdom with President Trump and am forced to watch the BBC in our hotel rooms, it mars my day listening to their overt propaganda and lies about the president of the United States and all that he’s doing to make America better and the world a safer place."

Disclosed Document Emphasizes Editing Issues

The publication reported its coverage was based on a memo authored by a former consultant to the BBC's editorial guidelines committee. The adviser departed his position earlier this year and has not spoken on the file, believed to have been leaked by a insider.

An extract published stated: "It was completely misleading to edit the clip in the way Panorama aired it. The fact that he did not explicitly exhort supporters to go down and fight at Capitol Hill was one of the reasons there were no federal charges for incitement to riot."

Claims of Widespread Problems

The memo reportedly added that the ex-consultant had expressed concerns about how BBC Arabic covered the war in Gaza.

The outlet said the author asserted there were "institutional issues", which had not been resolved by top executives. He supposedly cited "clear disparities" between the coverage of the war on BBC Arabic and on the main BBC website.

One issue highlighted was the frequent use of analysts who were prejudiced against Jewish people or supportive of the militant group.

Criticism of Trans Issues Coverage

The lengthy dossier is also reported to have faulted the BBC's handling of transgender issues, saying the network had been "influenced by a small group of [staff] promoting the Stonewall view" of gender identity issues and that its LGBT unit would "refuse to cover any stories raising difficult questions".

It is reported to have alleged that stories raising complex questions about trans issues were downplayed, with a "constant drip-feed of one-sided stories celebrating the trans experience without adequate fairness or objectivity".

BBC Reply

In response, the BBC said: "While we don’t comment on leaked documents, when the BBC receives feedback it takes it seriously and considers it carefully."

"The former adviser is a former adviser to a board committee where differing views and opinions of our coverage are routinely discussed and debated.|He previously advised a panel where varied perspectives on our reporting are regularly examined and contested."

John Peterson
John Peterson

Liam Koelstra is a tech enthusiast and mindfulness coach, exploring the intersection of AI and well-being.