Ofcom urged to investigate GB News Trump interview over accuracy concerns

Britain’s broadcasting regulator is under mounting pressure to investigate a GB News interview with Donald Trump, after critics claimed the channel failed to challenge a series of misleading and inaccurate assertions made by the US president.

The interview, aired in November and billed by GB News as a “world exclusive sit-down”, featured Trump repeating long-disputed claims that human-induced climate change is “a hoax”, alongside assertions that London contains police “no-go areas” governed by “sharia law”.

Campaigners and media experts argue that these claims were either left unchallenged or actively reinforced by the interviewer, Bev Turner, raising questions about compliance with UK broadcasting rules on accuracy and due impartiality.

The controversy has prompted multiple formal complaints to Ofcom, including three detailed submissions co-signed by tens of thousands of viewers. While Ofcom officials are understood to be reviewing the complaints, the regulator has yet to confirm whether a formal investigation will be launched.

Among those urging action is Chris Banatvala, Ofcom’s founding director of standards, who described the broadcast as unprecedented for a UK-licensed domestic channel.

“I have never seen anything comparable on a British broadcaster,” he said. “While this style of interview may be common on US partisan outlets, it represents a serious test of the UK’s impartiality framework.”

Banatvala warned that a failure to investigate would signal a retreat from established broadcasting standards. “If Ofcom chooses not to act, it risks sending a message that impartiality rules no longer apply.”

One complaint was submitted by Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, focusing on Trump’s climate change remarks. During the interview, Trump claimed that climate change was fabricated and that wind power was “the most expensive energy you can get” — assertions contradicted by a substantial body of scientific and economic research.

Ward said the interview represented “one of the most blatant examples of a British media organisation allowing misinformation to be broadcast without challenge”.

Other complaints focus on Trump’s claims about crime and policing in London, including assertions that police avoid entire areas of the capital. These statements were not disputed during the broadcast. At one point, Turner responded by saying: “It’s true … it feels much safer [in the US].”

Campaign group 38 Degrees has also submitted a complaint alleging a lack of due impartiality, pointing to repeated praise of Trump by the presenter, including describing one of his speeches as “one of the greatest moments at the UN”.

GB News has increasingly positioned itself as a platform for figures associated with the Trump administration. The network has been publicly praised by Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, and has featured multiple US conservative voices in recent months.

Critics argue this raises further questions about editorial balance, particularly given UK broadcasters’ legal obligations to avoid materially misleading audiences.

GB News declined to comment on the complaints.

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We are assessing the complaints against our rules, but have not yet decided whether to investigate.”

As scrutiny intensifies, the case is shaping up to be a significant test of the regulator’s willingness to enforce long-standing impartiality and accuracy standards in an increasingly polarised media landscape.

Jamie Young

Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.

When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.