In a hard-hitting segment on Newsmax's The Chris Salcedo Show Tuesday night, Media Research Center (MRC) President David Bozell joined host Chris Salcedo to break down President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. Bozell also weighed in on what some are calling a Vanity Fair “hit piece” on the Trump leadership team.
Trump’s BBC lawsuit stems from the state-owned media’s deceptive editing of his January 6, 2021, speech in a Panorama documentary. By splicing comments made nearly an hour apart—omitting Trump's calls for peace—the BBC falsely portrayed him as inciting violence.
Salcedo kicked off by noting Trump's prior victories in similar cases against CBS and ABC, asking how the President might fare against a taxpayer-funded giant like the BBC. Bozell was optimistic: "I think it's kind of slim to none" for the BBC to win. "The video is pretty apparent. They spliced Trump's commentary one hour apart on J6... How can you defend that? Like saying, 'oops'?"
Bozell explained that the BBC, akin to a British PBS, is largely supported by a mandatory £169 (about $225) annual license fee paid by every UK household with a TV. "If the BBC were to lose, who pays?" he asked rhetorically—pointing out that British taxpayers could foot the bill for any settlement or judgment.
Bozell also discussed White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' extensive off-camera interviews with Vanity Fair, a notoriously anti-Trump outlet. Bozell advised caution, "If you've got to do [these interviews], do them on camera... This way, no nonsense about being taken out of context." While acknowledging the "political utility" of appearing on legacy shows (like Trump's own Meet the Press sit-down), he urged conservatives to be wary of biased outlets.
Bozell's appearance underscored the MRC's watchdog role in holding the media accountable, predicting strong odds for Trump while warning conservatives about the perils of an elitist press corps that fundamentally doesn't like conservatives.
Watch the full interview here.
