Trump Threatens Lawsuit Against BBC, Raises Jimmy Lai Case With China

Washington, Dec 2025 : US President Donald Trump on Monday said he plans to file a lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), accusing the UK-based public broadcaster of falsely attributing statements to him using artificial intelligence. At the same time, Trump revealed that he had personally raised the issue of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging him to consider Lai’s release on humanitarian grounds.

Speaking to reporters at the White House after a ceremony honouring US service members, Trump alleged that the BBC had broadcast comments he never made, calling the episode a serious violation of journalistic ethics. “They actually put terrible words in my mouth,” Trump said. “They had me saying things that I never said.”

Trump suggested that artificial intelligence may have been used to fabricate or manipulate his remarks. “I guess they used AI or something,” he said, adding that the broadcaster ignored what he described as his actual statements while airing content he denied ever uttering. He said the misrepresentation was deliberate and damaging.

Calling the report “fake news,” Trump said legal action against the BBC was imminent. “We’ll be filing that suit probably this afternoon or tomorrow morning,” he said, signalling a formal challenge to the broadcaster over what he described as false reporting.

According to Trump, the alleged misattribution related to remarks connected to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. He claimed that the BBC aired words he never spoke while omitting what he described as his genuine comments emphasising patriotism. “They actually have me speaking with words that I never said,” Trump said, adding that his original remarks were intentionally excluded.

Trump further claimed that the error or manipulation was so evident that it had been acknowledged within the organisation itself. “I believe somebody at the BBC said this is so bad, it has to be reported,” he said, without providing further details.

The President’s comments come at a time of increasing concern in the US and Europe over the use of artificial intelligence in media production. Governments, regulators and media organisations are grappling with challenges posed by AI-generated or altered audio, video and text, and the risks of misinformation being presented as authentic journalism.

During the same interaction with reporters, Trump also addressed a question on China and human rights, revealing that he had spoken directly to Chinese President Xi Jinping about the case of Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai. “I spoke to President Xi about it,” Trump said. “I asked to consider his release.”

Trump said his appeal was based on humanitarian considerations. “He’s an older man, and he’s not well,” he said, adding that he had personally conveyed his concerns to the Chinese leader during their discussions.

Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was convicted under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law. His detention has drawn strong criticism from international press freedom organisations, human rights groups and several Western governments, which view the case as emblematic of shrinking freedoms in Hong Kong.

When asked whether he expected a positive response from Beijing, Trump said, “We’ll see what happens.” He did not elaborate on whether the issue of Lai’s imprisonment had influenced broader US–China relations, which continue to face tensions over trade, technology, Taiwan and human rights.

Team Maverick.