Trump Threatens $1.5 Billion Lawsuit Against BBC Over Edited Capitol Speech
US President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against the BBC over its editing of a 2021 speech delivered on the day his supporters stormed the Capitol. The broadcaster admitted the edit was an “error of judgement.”
Trump’s lawyers have demanded that the BBC retract its Panorama documentary by 14 November or face a lawsuit seeking at least US$1 billion ($1.5 billion). The program combined two separate excerpts of Trump’s speech in a way that suggested he was encouraging the January 6 riot, which the legal team called “false and defamatory.”
The controversy has triggered a major shake-up at the BBC, with Director-General Tim Davie and Chief Executive of News Deborah Turness resigning on Sunday. BBC Chair Samir Shah apologised for the editing mistake but rejected claims that the broadcaster suffers from systemic bias. He said the BBC is considering how to respond to Trump’s legal threat.
The crisis followed the leak of an internal report that criticised the BBC’s coverage, including the Trump speech, which aired shortly before the November 2024 US presidential election. The report also raised concerns about the broadcaster’s reporting on the Israel-Gaza conflict and transgender issues.
Shah acknowledged that the edit created the impression of a direct call for violence, saying in a letter to politicians: “The BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement.” Trump’s legal team maintains that the BBC violated Florida defamation law by deliberately omitting facts and presenting clips in a misleading manner.
Although it is generally difficult for public figures to win defamation cases in the US, as they must prove that false information was knowingly published, Trump has recently settled similar lawsuits with media companies including CBS and ABC News. Shah insisted that while the BBC accepts criticism over the edit, it did not attempt to suppress allegations of bias or ignore internal concerns, calling claims of systemic bias “wrong.”
Davie will remain in his role for the coming months while a successor is appointed.
