Trump’s $5 Billion Lawsuit Threat Against BBC After Apology
US President Donald Trump on Friday announced his intention to pursue legal action against the BBC, alleging that a misleading edit of his 6 January 2021 speech misrepresented his words and depicted him as inciting the Capitol riot. While addressing reporters on Air Force One during the flight to Florida, Trump stated, “We’ll sue them for anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week. I believe I must take that action; they have openly acknowledged their wrongdoing. They changed the words coming out of my mouth,” as per reports. He stated that he had not yet communicated with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the issue but planned to reach out to him over the weekend, adding that Starmer had attempted to contact him and was “very embarrassed” by the incident. The documentary, aired on the BBC’s prominent Panorama programme, combined three distinct video excerpts from Trump’s 2021 speech, with the editing suggesting that he was encouraging supporters to breach the Capitol, which Trump’s lawyers described as “false and defamatory.”
Previously, Trump had threatened to sue the broadcaster for $1 billion. A report revealed that the matter came to light following the publication of a memo authored by Michael Prescott, which claimed that Panorama had merged different segments of Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech to imply he was directly provoking the Capitol attack. Following the publication, Tim Davie and Deborah Turness stepped down from their positions. After receiving a letter from Trump’s lawyer requesting an apology for the documentary’s impact on the US President’s image, the BBC acknowledged an editing mistake and issued an apology but maintained that it had not defamed Trump and argued that there was no legal basis for the proposed lawsuit.
On Thursday, Samir Shah issued a personal apology to the White House, having previously expressed regret to a British parliamentary oversight committee and characterizing the edit as an “error of judgement.” UK Culture Minister Lisa Nandy subsequently stated that the apology was “right and necessary.” The broadcaster stated that it would not re-broadcast the documentary and has initiated an inquiry into additional concerns regarding editing practices. The UK government publicly backed the BBC amid Trump’s lawsuit threat, reaffirming its role and integrity as scrutiny over the incident continued. The controversy has intensified political tensions surrounding media accountability and the handling of sensitive political content.
In an interview, Trump remarked that the edit was “impossible to believe” and likened it to election interference, 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,” according to reports. Despite the BBC’s apology, Trump stated that the corporation had declined compensation and emphasized that the broadcaster “cheated.” The ongoing dispute underscores the broader clash between Trump and major media organizations, with the lawsuit threat likely to fuel renewed debate over editorial standards, political bias, and misinformation.
