Downing Street has confirmed that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has still not spoken to US President Donald Trump, more than a week after the American leader threatened to sue the BBC for billions of dollars.
The Legal Threat and BBC's Stance
The dispute centres on a Panorama programme that featured an edited clip of a speech given by President Trump on January 6, 2021. In a letter dated 9 November, Mr Trump's lawyers initially vowed to sue the broadcaster for $1 billion in damages. The US President later escalated this, telling reporters he would sue for "anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion".
In response, BBC chairman Samir Shah emailed staff to insist there was "no basis" for the defamation case and vowed to "fight" the action. He emphasised the corporation's duty to protect licence fee-payers from bearing any potential financial burden.
The BBC did issue an apology on Thursday, stating that the edit had given a "mistaken impression" that Mr Trump had directly called for violent action and admitting it was an "error of judgment." However, the corporation has refused to pay financial compensation and stands by its position that there is no legal basis for the claim.
Political Fallout and Resignations
The scandal has already had significant internal consequences for the BBC, leading to the departure of two of its most senior executives: director-general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness.
The controversial Panorama episode, "Trump: A Second Chance?", was broadcast just a week before the 2024 US election results. The edit spliced two clips together, making it appear the President told the crowd: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol… and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell." The BBC has stated it will not air the programme again and has published a retraction online.
Meanwhile, the anticipated conversation between Sir Keir and President Trump has failed to materialise. Downing Street admitted on Monday that the two leaders had yet to speak, despite expectations of a call over the weekend.
The BBC's Legal Defence
According to reports, the BBC's legal team has outlined five key arguments to Mr Trump's lawyers defending its position. These include that the programme was not distributed on US channels and was restricted to UK viewers on iPlayer, and that the edit was not made with malice but to shorten a lengthy speech.
The corporation also argues that the documentary did not cause Mr Trump harm, as he was subsequently re-elected, and that political speech is heavily protected under US defamation laws.
President Trump, who has a history of legal action against news outlets, told GB News he felt an "obligation" to sue, stating, "This was so egregious. If you don't do it, you don't stop it from happening again with other people." He indicated the lawsuit would likely be filed "someplace in the US."
As the legal and diplomatic standoff continues, the BBC has begun a review of its editorial guidelines committee and the process to appoint a new director-general is underway.
