Despite apology, resignations, Trump wants to sue BBC for $5B
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has threatened to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for up to $5 billion. This comes despite the BBC's recent apology for an edited clip of his January 6, 2021, speech that aired in a Panorama documentary before the 2024 election. The edited clip had given the false impression that Trump was directly inciting violence.
Legal action
Trump plans to file a lawsuit next week
Trump, while flying from Washington, D.C. to his Mar-A-Lago estate on Air Force One, told reporters, "We'll sue them for anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week." He added that he felt it was necessary to proceed with the lawsuit. The BBC had previously admitted its "error of judgment" in editing the clip, but Trump isn't satisfied with just an apology.
Documentary fallout
BBC's edited clip sparked controversy and resignations
The controversial clip was part of the 2024 documentary that aired just before the election day showdown between Trump and then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The edit raised eyebrows as it seemed to suggest Trump was calling for violence with, "We're going to walk down to the Capitol and I'll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell." This backlash led to the sudden resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness.
BBC's stance
BBC's response to Trump's lawsuit threat
In response to Trump's lawsuit threat, the BBC issued a statement on November 13. The public broadcaster accepted that its edit unintentionally created the impression of showing a single continuous section of Trump's speech. They apologized for this "error of judgment" and stated that the Panorama documentary would not be re-broadcast in its current form on any BBC platforms. However, they clarified that it had never aired in the USA and stated there was no basis for a defamation case.