Former US President Donald Trump has declared he will initiate legal proceedings against the BBC next week, seeking damages between £759 million and £3.79 billion, following the corporation's admission it incorrectly edited his 2021 speech about the Capitol building.
The Legal Threat Emerges
Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One on Friday, Mr Trump confirmed his intention to sue the British broadcaster. "We'll sue them for anywhere between 1 billion dollars (£759.8 million) and 5 billion dollars (£3.79 billion), probably sometime next week," the former president stated.
This announcement comes despite the BBC issuing an apology for what it described as an "error of judgment" in editing together different sections of Mr Trump's January 6th, 2021 address. The corporation has nevertheless refused financial compensation demands from Mr Trump's legal team, who had threatened a £759 million lawsuit unless the broadcaster published a retraction and apology.
Broadcaster's Response and Resignations
The BBC has taken several steps to address the controversy surrounding the Panorama episode titled "Trump: A Second Chance?" which aired just before the 2024 US election results. Chairman Samir Shah sent a personal apology letter to the White House, while corporation lawyers communicated with the president's legal representatives.
A BBC spokesperson emphasised: "While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim." The broadcaster confirmed it has no plans to rebroadcast the controversial documentary on any of its platforms.
The scandal has already claimed the careers of two senior BBC executives, with director-general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness both resigning over the incident.
Trump's Perspective on Legal Action
In an interview with GB News broadcast on Saturday, Mr Trump explained his motivation for pursuing litigation. "I'm not looking to get into lawsuits, but I think I have an obligation to do it," he stated. "This was so egregious. If you don't do it, you don't stop it from happening again with other people."
The former president compared the BBC situation to his previous legal success against US media giant Paramount, which settled for £13.5 million regarding a 2024 CBS interview with Kamala Harris. Mr Trump described the BBC edit as "the most egregious" media manipulation he's encountered throughout his career.
The problematic editing occurred when the programme spliced two clips together, making it appear Mr Trump directly told supporters: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol... and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell." This created the false impression he explicitly encouraged violent action at the US Capitol.
Mr Trump indicated the lawsuit would likely be filed in the United States, though he noted that litigation in the UK "moves a little bit quickly" by comparison. The former president's legal team had set a Friday 10pm deadline for the BBC's response before announcing their intention to proceed with legal action.
