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Donald Trump's press secretary has described the BBC as "completely fake news" and a "propaganda machine" in a blunt discussion. These remarks follow claims of partiality at the broadcaster.

White House Official Criticizes BBC Reporting

The White House official, a senior figure in the previous US government, stated that viewing BBC news reports during trips to the UK "ruins" her day. She asserted that taxpayers are "compelled to foot the bill for a leftist propaganda machine."

Dispute Over Edited Speech

Leavitt's comments came after MPs said the corporation had "significant concerns to answer" regarding how a speech by the US president was edited in a BBC Panorama program.

A document leaked to a publication suggested that an episode of the current affairs programme "completely misled" viewers by combining two parts of the oration together.

The programme depicted the leader saying he would march with his followers to the Capitol prior to the riots 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 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 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 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."

Disclosed Memo Highlights Production Problems

The newspaper said its coverage was based on a note written by a former adviser to the BBC's content standards committee. The adviser left his role recently and has not spoken on the document, believed to have been revealed by a whistleblower.

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."

Allegations of Widespread Issues

The memo allegedly added that the former adviser had raised worries about how BBC Arabic reported on the conflict in Gaza.

The newspaper said the author asserted there were "institutional issues", which had not been resolved by top executives. He reportedly cited "stark differences" between the reporting of the hostilities on BBC Arabic and on the primary BBC website.

One issue pointed out was the frequent use of analysts who were antisemitic or pro-Hamas.

Censure of Trans Issues Reporting

The 19-page file is also reported to have criticised the BBC's handling of transgender issues, stating the network 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 reported to have alleged that stories posing challenging questions about trans issues were suppressed, with a "steady stream of one-sided stories promoting the trans experience without adequate balance or objectivity".

The Broadcaster Reply

In response, the BBC said: "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."