Robert Garson, a lawyer who represents Donald Trump in libel matters, met a senior Downing Street official days after Mr Trump increased a threatened lawsuit against the BBC to $5 billion. Garson says the visit was tied to his role on the US Holocaust Memorial Council and to advising on a proposed UK Holocaust memorial, though sources say he met the official overseeing the project. He denied discussing the BBC lawsuit but acknowledged raising concerns about alleged anti‑Semitism at the broadcaster. The dispute follows resignations at the BBC over the editing of Mr Trump’s January 6 speech and Mr Trump’s threat to seek significant damages.
Trump’s Libel Lawyer Meets Downing Street Amid $5bn BBC Lawsuit Threat
Robert Garson, a lawyer who represents Donald Trump in libel matters, met a senior Downing Street official days after Mr Trump increased a threatened lawsuit against the BBC to $5 billion. Garson says the visit was tied to his role on the US Holocaust Memorial Council and to advising on a proposed UK Holocaust memorial, though sources say he met the official overseeing the project. He denied discussing the BBC lawsuit but acknowledged raising concerns about alleged anti‑Semitism at the broadcaster. The dispute follows resignations at the BBC over the editing of Mr Trump’s January 6 speech and Mr Trump’s threat to seek significant damages.
12:23 PM, 11/21/2025Politics
Robert Garson, a lawyer who represents Donald Trump in libel matters, visited Downing Street days after Mr Trump publicly raised the prospect of suing the BBC for up to $5 billion over an edited Panorama broadcast. Garson says the visit related to his role with the US Holocaust Memorial Council and to advising UK officials on plans for a Holocaust memorial, but Downing Street sources say he met a senior civil servant overseeing that project.
The dispute centers on Panorama’s editing of Mr Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech. The BBC has apologised for how the programme presented the footage and has withdrawn the episode, while two senior executives — the director‑general and the head of news — resigned amid the controversy and a separate whistleblower report alleging bias.
Mr Garson, chairman of GS2 Law, told reporters he did not discuss Mr Trump’s threatened legal action with the Downing Street official, though he acknowledged raising concerns about alleged anti‑Semitism and an anti‑Israel bias at the broadcaster. "My trip had absolutely nothing to do with the BBC lawsuit," he said, adding: "We may have spoken about anti‑Semitism at the BBC."
Downing Street sources named the aide Mr Garson reportedly met as Tim Kiddell, a senior civil servant who is understood to be involved in overseeing the proposed UK Holocaust memorial next to the Palace of Westminster. Mr Garson said he was advising officials on the memorial project in his capacity as a member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council, a body he was appointed to by President Trump.
Outside the BBC controversy, Mr Garson is also representing Mr Trump in separate litigation against veteran journalist Bob Woodward. That case, which concerns recordings used for an audiobook based on interviews for the book Rage, was dismissed by a federal judge in July, but Garson said he continues to represent Mr Trump and will pursue further action.
Mr Trump has repeatedly said he intends to seek substantial damages from the BBC for the allegedly manipulated footage. Speaking to reporters, he said the broadcaster had "changed the words coming out of my mouth" and indicated he planned to pursue a claim in the range of $1 billion to $5 billion. The BBC has declined to pay damages.
The episode and the fallout have created political sensitivity in the UK, where the prospective lawsuit and the resignations at the BBC have drawn attention from government figures attempting to manage relations with both the broadcaster and international partners.