U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday his intention to file a lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for as much as $5 billion. The planned legal action is in response to a BBC documentary that featured an edited clip of a speech Trump delivered on Jan. 6, 2021.
Speaking to reporters on Nov. 14, Trump said, “We will sue them for anywhere between a billion and five billion dollars, probably sometime next week.” His statement follows a letter sent by his legal team to the BBC on Monday, which accused the broadcaster of defamation and requested an apology and compensation.
The dispute centers on a segment from the BBC’s “Panorama” program. The documentary included an edit that combined three separate clips from Trump’s speech, which was given hours before the U.S. Capitol was breached. According to the letter from Trump’s lawyers, the edited sequence created a “false and defamatory” impression that he was inciting the events at the Capitol.
In an interview with GB News, Trump commented on the edit, stating, “I made a beautiful statement, and they made it into a not beautiful statement.” He added, “Fake news was a great term, except it’s not strong enough. This is beyond fake, this is corrupt.”
The BBC has publicly addressed the edit. BBC Chairman Samir Shah issued an apology to the White House and, while speaking to British lawmakers, described the editorial choice as an “error of judgement.” In the days following the documentary’s broadcast and subsequent public reaction, BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness resigned from their positions.
British government officials have also commented on the matter. On Friday, Culture Minister Lisa Nandy stated that the BBC’s apology was “right and necessary.”
Trump told reporters he plans to raise the issue with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “I’m going to call him over the weekend,” Trump said. “He actually put a call into me.”
