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The former US president's press secretary has characterized the BBC as "completely fake news" and a "biased media outlet" in a forthright discussion. These remarks follow allegations of partiality at the network.

White House Official Condemns BBC Coverage

The White House official, a high-ranking representative in the previous US government, stated that viewing BBC bulletins during trips to the UK "spoils" her day. She asserted that the public are "forced to foot the bill for a liberal propaganda machine."

Dispute Over Altered Speech

Leavitt's statements came after lawmakers said the broadcaster had "significant concerns to answer" regarding how a speech by the US president was edited in a BBC Panorama program.

A report leaked to a newspaper indicated that an episode of the news programme "completely misled" viewers by combining two parts of the speech together.

The programme showed the president saying he would walk with his followers to the Capitol prior to the disturbances on 6 January 2021, urging them to "struggle intensely". However, it omitted a portion of the speech where he advised the assembly "to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard".

“This intentionally deceptive, carefully cut footage from the BBC further proves they are entirely, 100% fake news, unworthy of airtime on the screens of the UK's admirable citizens.”

Leavitt continued: "Every time I travel to the United Kingdom with President Trump and am forced to watch the BBC in our hotel rooms, it mars 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 Production Issues

The publication said its reporting was based on a note written by a ex- consultant to the BBC's editorial guidelines committee. The expert left his role earlier this year and has not commented on the document, understood to have been revealed by a whistleblower.

An extract published 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."

Allegations of Systemic Issues

The report allegedly added that the former adviser had expressed worries about how BBC Arabic covered the conflict in Gaza.

The outlet said the author alleged there were "institutional issues", which had not been addressed by top executives. He reportedly cited "stark differences" between the coverage of the war on BBC Arabic and on the primary BBC site.

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

Criticism of Trans Issues Coverage

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

It is said to have claimed that stories raising complex questions about trans issues were suppressed, with a "constant drip-feed of biased stories promoting the trans experience without adequate fairness or objectivity".

BBC Response

In answer, 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."