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Donald Trump's press secretary has characterized the BBC as "completely fake news" and a "biased media outlet" in a blunt discussion. This comes allegations of bias at the network.

Senior Administration Figure Condemns BBC Coverage

Karoline Leavitt, a senior figure in the Trump administration, remarked that watching BBC news reports during visits to the UK "ruins" her day. She claimed that taxpayers are "compelled to foot the bill for a leftist 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 modified in a BBC Panorama program.

A report leaked to a publication suggested that an episode of the current affairs programme "thoroughly deceived" viewers 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 6 January 2021, urging them to "fight like hell". However, it excluded a section of the talk where he advised the crowd "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 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 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 Memo Emphasizes Editing Issues

The publication reported its coverage was based on a memo authored by a former adviser to the BBC's content standards board. The adviser left his role earlier this year and has not spoken on the document, believed to have been leaked 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."

Claims of Systemic Problems

The report allegedly noted that the former adviser had expressed worries about how BBC Arabic reported on the conflict in Gaza.

The outlet said the author alleged there were "institutional issues", which had not been resolved by senior management. He reportedly cited "stark differences" between the reporting of the hostilities on BBC Arabic and on the primary BBC site.

One matter highlighted was the repeated use of analysts who were prejudiced against Jewish people or pro-Hamas.

Censure of Transgender Topics Reporting

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

It is said to have claimed that stories posing challenging questions about transgender matters were downplayed, with a "steady stream of biased stories celebrating the trans experience without adequate fairness or impartiality".

The Broadcaster Response

In response, 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."