President Donald Trump’s long-running clashes with news organisations have expanded into a series of lawsuits, corporate settlements, and access battles, with the latest dispute involving a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC.

BBC sued over edited January 6 speech

Trump filed a lawsuit accusing the British public broadcaster of defamation and deceptive/unfair trade practices, alleging it stitched together two separate portions of his January 6, 2021 speech in a way that distorted his meaning. The complaint argues the edit was intended to influence the 2024 U.S. election.

The BBC had apologised last month for the edit, but has rejected the allegation that it defamed Trump.

ABC and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” controversy

The report also points to ABC briefly suspending “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in September after backlash over comments Kimmel made following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The show returned less than a week later.

The suspension drew reactions across the entertainment world, with multiple late-night hosts and public figures criticising the move.

Legal fights with major newspapers

Trump has pursued multiple high-dollar defamation actions:

• A $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times tied to a book and several articles ahead of the 2024 election. A judge dismissed the suit but allowed an amended complaint, which was later filed.
• A $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch, filed after a report describing a sexually suggestive letter allegedly bearing Trump’s name, included in a 2003 album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein.

Paramount settlement and Colbert cancellation debate

Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over editing of a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign. Paramount said the money would go toward Trump’s future presidential library and legal fees, and framed the move as a way to close the dispute while it sought regulatory approval for a merger.

Soon after, CBS announced it would end “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” next May, citing financial reasons—though the timing sparked political speculation because Colbert had criticised the settlement.

Public broadcasting and the AP access dispute

Trump also signed an executive order aimed at cutting federal support to PBS and NPR, alleging bias. NPR and several local stations sued, arguing the order violated free-speech protections and exceeded presidential authority. The report notes Congress later approved eliminating $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting.

Separately, Trump removed the Associated Press from the White House press pool over its refusal to fully adopt his preferred name change for the Gulf of Mexico. AP sued; a district court sided with AP on First Amendment grounds, though an appeals court later stayed that ruling.

ABC News settlement over E. Jean Carroll wording

ABC News agreed to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library plus $1 million in legal fees to settle a defamation suit after anchor George Stephanopoulos inaccurately described the civil verdict in writer E. Jean Carroll’s case. The segment repeatedly misstated the findings; the settlement labelled the library payment a charitable contribution.