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Donald Trump's press secretary has characterized the BBC as "100% fake news" and a "propaganda machine" in a forthright interview. These remarks follow allegations of bias at the broadcaster.

Senior Administration Figure Condemns BBC Reporting

Karoline Leavitt, a high-ranking figure in the Trump administration, stated that viewing BBC news reports during visits to the UK "spoils" her day. She claimed that taxpayers are "compelled to foot the bill for a liberal propaganda machine."

Controversy Over Altered Speech

The spokesperson's comments came after lawmakers said the corporation had "serious questions to answer" regarding how a public address by the American leader was modified in a BBC Panorama program.

A document leaked to a publication suggested that an installment of the current affairs programme "completely misled" audiences by splicing two segments of the speech together.

The broadcast showed the president saying he would walk with his followers to the Capitol prior to the disturbances on 6 January 2021, urging them to "fight like hell". However, it excluded a section of the speech where he advised 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 added: "Every time I travel to the United Kingdom with President Trump and am obliged to watch the BBC in our hotel rooms, it ruins 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 Memo Highlights Editing Issues

The newspaper said its coverage was based on a memo authored by a ex- consultant to the BBC's content standards board. The adviser departed his position recently and has not spoken on the file, understood to have been leaked by a whistleblower.

A passage released read: ""Editing the footage as Panorama broadcast it was utterly deceptive. The absence of a direct call for supporters to march and battle at Capitol Hill partly explained why no federal incitement charges were filed."

Allegations of Widespread Issues

The report allegedly added that the ex-consultant had raised worries about how BBC Arabic covered the conflict in Gaza.

The outlet said the adviser alleged there were "systemic problems", which had not been resolved by senior management. He reportedly cited "clear disparities" between the coverage of the hostilities on BBC Arabic and on the primary BBC website.

One issue pointed out was the repeated use of commentators who were antisemitic or pro-Hamas.

Censure of Trans Issues Coverage

The 19-page file is also reported to have criticised the BBC's handling of gender identity matters, stating the broadcaster had been "captured by a small group of [staff] promoting the Stonewall view" of gender identity issues and that its LGBT unit would "decline to cover any stories raising difficult questions".

It is reported to have alleged that stories posing challenging questions about trans issues were suppressed, with a "steady stream 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."

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