Trump threatens to sue BBC for US$5 billion over speech edit
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sue the BBC over an edited broadcast of his speech, claiming it falsely implied a call for violent action.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump vowed legal action against the BBC’s flagship Panorama programme, accusing it of manipulating footage from his controversial speech on January 6, 2021.
“We’ll sue them for anywhere between US$1 billion (approximately 36.5 billion baht) and US$5 billion, probably sometime next week.”
Trump claimed the edit “changed the words coming out of my mouth.”
The row centres around a Panorama documentary aired in October 2024, which featured selectively edited clips from Trump’s address to supporters on the day of the Capitol riot. In its version, the programme appeared to link two distant parts of the speech to imply a direct call for violence.
Facing backlash, the BBC issued a rare apology, acknowledging the edit “unintentionally gave the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.” The clip has since been removed and will not be rebroadcast.
However, the corporation refused to pay financial compensation, prompting Trump’s legal team to threaten a US$1 billion lawsuit unless a retraction, apology, and damages were provided.
In a follow-up interview, Trump called the edit “egregious” and said suing the BBC was a matter of principle.
“If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again,” he said, referencing a similar case with CBS involving Kamala Harris, which led to a US$16 million settlement.
BBC lawyers have written to Trump’s team, outlining five reasons why they believe there is no case to answer. These include that the edited version wasn’t broadcast in the US, that it did not cause Trump reputational damage, and that political opinion is strongly protected under American defamation law.
BBC Chair Samir Shah also sent a personal letter to Trump expressing regret over the edit.
Despite the apology, fallout continues. The controversy has already triggered the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness. Media experts warn the legal fight could cost UK taxpayers if the case proceeds.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Our position remains the same. We have had no further contact from President Trump’s lawyers at this point.”
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