Pressure is mounting on Britain's broadcasting regulator to investigate Donald Trump's GB News interview, as critics claim the channel failed to challenge a series of misleading and inaccurate claims made by the US president.
The interview, which aired in November and was billed by GB News as a “world exclusive sit-down”, saw Trump repeat long-disputed claims that human-induced climate change is “a hoax”, as well as claiming that police in London included a “no-go area” governed by “Sharia law”.
Campaigners and media experts argue that these claims were either not challenged or were actively reinforced by interviewer Bev Turner, raising questions about her compliance with UK broadcasting rules on accuracy and proper impartiality.
The controversy has led to several formal complaints to Ofcom, including three detailed submissions co-signed by thousands of viewers. Ofcom officials are understood to be reviewing the complaints, but the regulator has not yet confirmed whether a formal investigation will be launched.
Among those urging action was Chris Banatwala, Ofcom's founding director of standards, who described the broadcast as unprecedented for a UK-licensed domestic channel.
He said, “I've never seen anything comparable on any British broadcaster.” “While this style of interview may be common on American partisan outlets, it represents a serious test of the UK's impartiality framework.”
Banatwala warned that failure to investigate would signal a retreat from established broadcasting standards. “If Ofcom chooses not to take action, it risks sending the message that fairness rules no longer apply.”
A complaint focusing on Trump's climate change comments was submitted by Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. During the interview, Trump claimed that climate change is a fabrication and that wind energy is “the most expensive energy you can get” – a claim refuted by a large body of scientific and economic research.
Ward said the interview was “one of the most blatant examples of a British media organization allowing misinformation to circulate without challenge”.
Other complaints focused on Trump's claims about crime and policing in London, including claims that police avoid entire areas of the capital. There was no controversy over these statements during the broadcast. At one point, Turner responded by saying: “It's true…it feels safer [in the US],
Campaign group 38 Degrees has also filed a complaint alleging a lack of proper impartiality, pointing to the presenter's repeated praise of Trump, including describing one of his speeches as “one of the greatest moments at the United Nations”.
GB News has quickly established itself as a platform for those associated with the Trump administration. The network has been publicly praised by Trump's press secretary, Carolyn Leavitt, and has featured a number of American conservative voices in recent months.
Critics argue that this raises further questions about editorial balance, particularly given UK broadcasters' legal obligations to avoid misleading viewers.
GB News declined to comment on the complaints.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We are assessing complaints against our rules, but have not yet decided whether to investigate.”
As the investigation heats up, the case is becoming a key test of the regulator's willingness to enforce long-standing fairness and accuracy standards in an increasingly polarized media landscape.
jamie young
Jamie is a senior reporter at Business Matters, with over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting. Jamie has a degree in Business Administration and regularly attends industry conferences and workshops. When Jamie is not reporting on the latest business developments, he is passionate about mentoring budding journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.