🔗 Share this article BBC Branded as "100% Fake News" by the Former President's Spokesperson The former US president's press secretary has described the BBC as "100% fake news" and a "propaganda machine" in a forthright interview. This comes allegations of partiality at the network. Senior Administration Figure Criticizes BBC Coverage Karoline Leavitt, a senior representative in the Trump administration, remarked that viewing BBC bulletins during visits to the UK "ruins" her day. She asserted that taxpayers are "compelled to foot the bill for a liberal propaganda machine." Controversy Over Altered Speech Leavitt's statements came after MPs said the broadcaster had "significant concerns to answer" regarding how a public address by the American leader was edited in a BBC Panorama program. A report disclosed to a publication suggested that an installment of the current affairs programme "thoroughly deceived" audiences by splicing two segments of the oration together. The programme showed the president saying he would march with his supporters to the Capitol ahead of the riots on January 6th, encouraging them to "struggle intensely". Nevertheless, it excluded a section of the speech where he urged 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 continued: "Every time I journey to the United Kingdom with President Trump and am forced to watch the BBC in our hotel rooms, it ruins my day listening to their blatant 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 Document Emphasizes Production Issues The newspaper reported its coverage was based on a memo authored by a former adviser to the BBC's content standards board. The expert departed his role recently and has not commented on the file, believed to have been revealed by a insider. A passage released read: "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 Widespread Problems The memo reportedly noted that the former adviser had expressed concerns about how BBC Arabic covered the conflict in Gaza. The newspaper said the adviser asserted there were "systemic problems", which had not been resolved by senior management. He supposedly cited "stark differences" between the reporting of the hostilities on BBC Arabic and on the primary BBC website. One issue highlighted was the repeated use of commentators who were prejudiced against Jewish people or pro-Hamas. Criticism of Transgender Issues Reporting The 19-page file is also said to have faulted the BBC's coverage of transgender issues, stating the broadcaster had been "captured by a small group of [staff] promoting the Stonewall view" of gender identity issues and that its LGBT desk would "decline to cover any stories raising difficult questions". It is said to have alleged that stories raising 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 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.|He previously advised a panel where varied perspectives on our reporting are regularly examined and contested."