PoliticsDonald Trump Tells ABC Reporter He Likes 'BBC Better' Despite Ongoing $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against British Broadcaster
Donald Trump shaded ABC during a press briefing.
Aug. 3 2026, Published 10:07 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump told an ABC News reporter that he liked the BBC better during a brief press gaggle aboard Air Force One.
The viral exchange occurred on Sunday, August 2, as the president was speaking with journalists regarding his proposed "anti-weaponization fund" and economic discussions concerning U.S. support for the Japanese yen.
Trump asked the reporter, “Who are you with?”
“I’m with ABC,” the reporter answered.
The octogenarian Trump said, “BBC?”
The reporter clarified they were with ABC.
“Oh, that’s worse. I like BBC better,” the president replied.
Inside Donald Trump's Lawsuit Against the BBC
Donald Trump said he likes the BBC more than ABC despite his lawsuit against the British company.
Trump made the favorable comment about the British broadcaster despite being locked in a highly publicized, multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit against the BBC over allegedly edited footage.
The litigious POTUS filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC in December 2025. He is suing the British broadcaster over an editing error in a documentary that he claims was a deliberate attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election.
The lawsuit stems from a 2024 episode of the BBC's flagship current affairs program Panorama, titled "Trump: A Second Chance."
Trump's legal team accused the BBC of "intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring" video footage by splicing together separate, non-consecutive parts of his January 6, 2021 speech.
They argue this deceptive edit falsely implied he directly incited violence at the U.S. Capitol.
Donald Trump is seeking $10 billiion in his lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Florida and seeks $10 billion in damages — split into $5 billion for defamation and $5 billion for violating Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The BBC acknowledged that the edit was inaccurate, and BBC Chairman Samir Shah issued an official apology.
Following the publication of a leaked internal memo exposing the editing error by The Daily Telegraph, BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness both resigned in mid-2026.
In late July, U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett ruled that because Trump is claiming billions in commercial and brand damages, the BBC has the right to review his financial records.
The court granted a subpoena ordering the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust to turn over financial documents dating back to 2023. This forces the president to open up books on over 400 connected businesses to prove actual financial loss.
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The president previously sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos.
On July 17, Trump agreed to drop BBC Studios Distribution and BBC Studios Production from the suit after it was proven they had no role in making or broadcasting the episode. However, he is still aggressively pursuing the core case against the BBC.
The BBC has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the Florida court lacks jurisdiction because the documentary was geo-blocked and never legally aired or streamed in the United States. Trump's team counters that the BBC actively instructed viewers how to bypass restrictions.
The U.S. government is reportedly considering participating in the litigation, and if a settlement is not reached, a trial date has been tentatively scheduled for February 2027.
The jab aligns with Trump's ongoing, highly critical relationship with ABC News, an organization he has frequently targeted as "fake news" during his public remarks.
In 2024, Trump sued ABC News and its anchor, George Stephanopoulos, for defamation. During a live broadcast on This Week, Stephanopoulos repeatedly stated that Trump had been found liable for "rape" in the E. Jean Carroll civil suit.
Donald Trump's History With ABC
A trial date has been tentatively scheduled for February 2027.
Legally, the jury had found Trump liable for "sexual abuse" and defamation, but not rape, though a judge later clarified it was indeed rape. Following his re-election, ABC News settled the case in December 2024, agreeing to issue an online note of regret, pay $1 million in legal fees and donate $15 million to Trump’s presidential library. Despite the payout, the legal battle left a permanent stain on their relationship.
The feud reached a boiling point in mid-2026 when ABC and NBC exercised editorial judgment and elected not to carry Trump’s prime-time election security address live on television.
An enraged Trump accused the broadcasters of engaging in "election-related fraud" and a "plot" against him. Trump and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr subsequently targeted the broadcast licenses of eight local ABC stations. ABC responded by filing legal challenges, using Trump's own social media posts to argue he was attempting corrupt, unconstitutional censorship in violation of the First Amendment.
The POTUS has also expressed frustration that ABC’s parent company, Disney, keeps late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on the air, given Kimmel's nightly, highly critical monologues targeting him.
