BBC Branded as "100% Fake News" by the Former President's Press Secretary

The former US president's official spokesperson has characterized the BBC as "completely fake news" and a "propaganda machine" in a blunt interview. These remarks follow claims of bias at the network.

White House Official Criticizes BBC Reporting

The White House official, a senior figure in the Trump administration, stated that viewing BBC bulletins during visits to the UK "spoils" her day. She claimed that taxpayers are "forced to foot the bill for a liberal propaganda machine."

Dispute Over Altered Speech

Leavitt's comments came after lawmakers said the broadcaster had "serious questions to answer" regarding how a speech by the American leader was edited in a BBC Panorama program.

A report disclosed to a publication suggested that an episode of the current affairs programme "thoroughly deceived" audiences by splicing two parts of the speech together.

The broadcast depicted the leader saying he would march with his followers to the Capitol ahead of the disturbances on January 6th, urging them to "fight like hell". However, it excluded a portion of the talk where he urged the assembly "to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard".

“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 continued: "Every time I travel to the United Kingdom with President Trump and am obliged to watch the BBC in our hotel rooms, it mars my day listening to their blatant 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 Highlights Editing Problems

The publication reported its coverage was based on a note authored by a ex- adviser to the BBC's content standards committee. The expert departed his role recently and has not commented on the file, understood to have been leaked by a insider.

A passage released 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 Systemic Issues

The memo reportedly noted that the ex-consultant had raised concerns about how BBC Arabic reported on the conflict in Gaza.

The newspaper said the adviser asserted there were "institutional issues", which had not been resolved by senior management. He supposedly cited "clear disparities" between the reporting of the hostilities on BBC Arabic and on the primary BBC website.

One matter pointed out was the frequent use of commentators who were prejudiced against Jewish people or supportive of the militant group.

Censure of Transgender Topics Coverage

The 19-page file is also reported to have faulted the BBC's coverage of transgender issues, stating the broadcaster 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 said to have claimed that stories posing challenging questions about transgender matters were suppressed, with a "steady stream of one-sided stories celebrating the trans experience without adequate balance or impartiality".

BBC Response

In response, the BBC stated: "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."

Larry Cisneros
Larry Cisneros

A tech enthusiast and writer passionate about AI, robotics, and sustainable innovations, sharing knowledge to inspire the next generation.