🔗 Share this article British Broadcasting Corporation Branded as "Totally Fake News" by the Former President's Press Secretary Donald Trump's press secretary has described the BBC as "completely fake news" and a "biased media outlet" in a forthright discussion. This comes claims of bias at the broadcaster. White House Official 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 asserted that taxpayers are "forced to foot the bill for a leftist propaganda machine." Controversy Over Edited Speech Leavitt's statements emerged after MPs said the broadcaster had "serious questions to answer" regarding how a speech by the American leader was edited in a BBC Panorama program. A report leaked to a newspaper indicated that an installment of the news programme "thoroughly deceived" audiences by splicing two parts of the speech together. The programme showed the leader saying he would march with his followers to the Capitol ahead of the disturbances on January 6th, urging them to "struggle intensely". However, it omitted a portion of the talk 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.” Leavitt added: "Whenever 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 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." Leaked Document Highlights Editing Issues The publication reported its reporting was based on a memo written by a former consultant to the BBC's editorial guidelines board. The adviser departed his role earlier this year and has not commented on the document, understood to have been leaked by a insider. A passage published 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." Claims of Widespread Issues The report reportedly added that the ex-consultant had raised concerns about how BBC Arabic covered the conflict in Gaza. The newspaper claimed the author alleged there were "systemic problems", which had not been resolved by top executives. He supposedly cited "clear disparities" between the reporting of the hostilities on BBC Arabic and on the primary BBC site. One issue pointed out was the repeated use of analysts who were antisemitic or supportive of the militant group. Criticism of Transgender Topics Reporting The lengthy dossier is also said to have faulted the BBC's coverage of gender identity matters, saying the broadcaster had been "captured by a small group of [staff] promoting the Stonewall view" of sexual identity issues and that its LGBT desk would "refuse to cover any stories raising difficult questions". It is reported to have claimed that stories posing challenging questions about trans issues were downplayed, with a "constant drip-feed of biased stories promoting the trans experience without adequate balance or impartiality". The Broadcaster Response In answer, the BBC stated: "Although we refrain from discussing disclosed papers, the BBC treats all input earnestly and reviews it thoroughly." "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."