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The former US president's press secretary has described the BBC as "100% fake news" and a "propaganda machine" in a blunt discussion. These remarks follow claims of bias at the broadcaster.

Senior Administration Figure Condemns BBC Coverage

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

Dispute Over Edited Speech

Leavitt's statements emerged after lawmakers said the corporation had "serious questions to answer" regarding how a speech by the US president was edited in a BBC Panorama program.

A report leaked to a publication suggested that an installment of the current affairs programme "thoroughly deceived" viewers by splicing two segments of the speech together.

The programme depicted the president saying he would walk with his supporters to the Capitol prior to the disturbances on January 6th, encouraging them to "fight like hell". Nevertheless, it excluded a section of the speech where he advised the assembly "to express views calmly and loyally".

“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.”

The press secretary continued: "Whenever 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 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."

Leaked Document Highlights Editing Problems

The publication reported its reporting was based on a memo written by a former adviser to the BBC's editorial guidelines board. The expert left his position earlier this year and has not commented on the document, understood to have been revealed by a whistleblower.

A passage 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 memo allegedly added that the former adviser had raised concerns about how BBC Arabic covered the conflict in Gaza.

The newspaper said the author asserted there were "systemic problems", which had not been addressed by senior management. He supposedly cited "clear disparities" between the reporting of the hostilities on BBC Arabic and on the main BBC site.

One issue pointed out was the frequent use of analysts who were prejudiced against Jewish people or pro-Hamas.

Censure of Trans Issues Reporting

The lengthy 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 "refuse to cover any stories raising difficult questions".

It is reported to have alleged that stories raising challenging questions about trans issues were downplayed, with a "constant drip-feed of one-sided stories promoting the trans experience without adequate balance or impartiality".

BBC Response

In answer, the BBC stated: "While we don’t comment on leaked documents, when the BBC receives feedback it takes it seriously and considers it carefully."

"The former adviser 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."