President Donald Trump is threatening a $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the British state broadcaster of publishing “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” in a Panorama documentary that deceptively edited key portions of his January 6, 2021, speech.
Trump’s litigation counsel sent a formal notice on Sunday to BBC Chair Samir Shah and general counsel Sarah Jones.
The White House is giving the network until Friday to retract the statements or face legal action.
The letter argues the BBC’s documentary, “Trump: A Second Chance,” intentionally misled viewers by removing Trump’s call for supporters to protest “peacefully and patriotically.”
Portions of the speech were spliced together to make it appear as though Trump was calling on his supporters to turn violent.
The report also added additional sounds to make the crowd appear aggressive.
The controversy has already triggered upheaval inside the BBC: Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News and Current Affairs chief Deborah Turness both stepped down in recent days after intense criticism over the documentary.
BBC Fabricated Content to Influence the 2024 Election
Trump’s attorneys say the Panorama episode spliced together unrelated segments of his Jan. 6 remarks to imply he incited violence, an omission critics say completely reversed the meaning of his speech.
According to Trump’s legal team, the BBC broadcast Trump saying:
“We’re gonna walk down to the Capitol, and I’ll be there with you, and we fight.
“We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
But Trump actually told supporters:
“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.”
It further states the BBC edited out a crucial line:
“I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
Attorney Alejandro Brito wrote that the BBC’s actions constituted defamation under Florida law, arguing that the edited statements “were fabricated and aired by the BBC” and have been “widely disseminated,” causing “overwhelming financial and reputational harm.”
The deceptively edited clips spread widely across social media, fueling anti-Trump sentiment on a global level.
Legal Team: BBC Acted With “Actual Malice”
Trump’s counsel says the BBC has “no viable defense” and displayed “reckless disregard for the truth,” adding:
“Failure to comply will leave President Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to recover damages… with all rights and remedies being expressly reserved.”
The letter demands a full and prominent retraction, an apology, and compensation, and orders the BBC to preserve all documents related to the documentary.
A BBC spokesperson responded cautiously:
“We will review the letter and respond directly in due course.”
BBC Crisis Deepens After Whistleblower Exposé
The fallout comes after The Telegraph published excerpts from internal documents written by communications adviser Michael Prescott, who was hired to review BBC editorial standards.
The materials sharply criticized the broadcaster’s handling of the Trump documentary, reporting on transgender issues, and accusations of anti-Israel bias in its Arabic service.
Turness cited the mounting controversy when she resigned, saying it “has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC,” adding, “the buck stops with me.”
BBC Tried to “Step on the Scales” of an American Election
Trump reacted Sunday after the executives’ departures, writing on Truth Social:
“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 the edits, calling the BBC employees “Corrupt ‘Journalists’” and warning that they tried to interfere in a U.S. presidential election, “on top of everything else,” from “a Foreign Country” considered a key U.S. ally.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also blasted the BBC as “100% fake news” and a “propaganda machine,” telling The Telegraph:
“This purposefully dishonest, selectively edited clip by the BBC is further evidence that they are total, 100% fake news that should no longer be worth the time on the television screens of the great people of the United Kingdom.”
Final Notice: $1 Billion Lawsuit If BBC Doesn’t Comply by Nov. 14
Trump’s legal team concluded their letter with a deadline:
“If the BBC does not comply… by November 14, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST, President Trump will be left with no alternative but to… file legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollars) in damages.
“The BBC is on notice.”
The BBC, already destabilized by resignations and internal criticism, now faces a potential legal battle with the president of the United States, one that could have enormous financial and reputational stakes.
READ MORE – Federal Judge Quits with Anti-Trump Meltdown, Rages Over ‘Angry Attacks on the Courts’
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