United States President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against the BBC over the way his speech was edited in a documentary aired by the broadcaster.
US President calls it "false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements" in a Panorama documentary about his January 6 speech and warned to file a 1 billion dollar lawsuit. According to Fox News, Trump's legal team has given the broadcaster until Friday to respond. Meanwhile, BBC chairman Samir Shah on Monday has apologised for the "error of judgment," which triggered the resignations of the BBC's top executive and its head of news, AP reported.
Donald Trump warns BBC with ultimatum
The controversy centres on the Panorama documentary film "Trump: A Second Chance", which aired was just before the US presidential election on October 28, 2024. The programme featured a shortened and edited excerpt of Trump's speech to supporters before the Capitol attack, and critics argue it misrepresented what he said that day.
According to the letter, accessed by Fox News, Trump said that we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you, we’re going to walk down, we’re going to walk down any one of you but I think right here, we’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.
"If the BBC does not comply with the above by November 14, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST, President Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollars) in damages. The BBC is on notice," the letter concluded.
Trump reacted to the resignations of Time Davie and Deborah Turness on Truth Social, posting, “The TOP people in the BBC, including TIM DAVIE, the BOSS, are all quitting FIRED, because they were caught ‘doctoring’ my very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th.” He thanked The Telegraph for exposing what he called “Corrupt ‘Journalists’” and claimed the edit was an attempt to “step on the scales of a Presidential Election”.
