President Donald Trump announced his intention to sue the British Broadcasting Corp. over an edit of his widely recognized January 6, 2021 speech featured in its flagship documentary program, even though the media organization has already issued an apology.
“We’ll sue them for anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week,” Trump stated Friday evening while on Air Force One.
“We have to do it. They’ve even admitted that they cheated,” Trump added. “They altered the words I spoke.”
The controversy originates from an episode of the BBC documentary series Panorama that aired last year, focusing on the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. Trump has alleged that the corporation misled its viewers by editing a video of his speech delivered before the riot.
In the version of the speech shown in the documentary, Trump addressed the audience at his “Save America” rally, stating: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” He then added, “And we fight. We fight like hell.”
Despite the original speech having a gap of over 50 minutes between these two sentences, the Panorama edit created the impression that the second sentence immediately followed the first.
The edit was brought to attention in an internal memo by Michael Prescott, an independent advisor to the corporation, and initially reported by . Prescott voiced concerns about “systemic” bias and the “inaction” of the BBC’s leadership in addressing deficiencies in its news coverage.
The BBC later issued a statement and apologized, acknowledging that the edit created “the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action,” while simultaneously rejecting his demands for compensation. This week, two of the organization’s senior executives, Director General Tim Davie and BBC News Chief Executive Deborah Turness, both resigned due to the controversy.
What comes next?
The BBC, established in 1922 and principally financed by a mandatory license fee imposed on all live television viewers, has already stated its position that it finds no basis for a defamation claim.
BBC Chair Samir Shah dispatched a letter to the White House, which was subsequently made public, conveying the corporation’s regret for the edit and asserting that while it “sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim.”
This statement implies that any legal action initiated by Trump will be contested, potentially leading to an extended court dispute should it progress. The notion of compensating Trump with taxpayers’ funds would present significant political and legal complexities.
The president’s legal team has indicated the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the BBC in Florida, which introduces jurisdictional challenges since the program did not have widespread broadcast in the U.S.
The potential lawsuit might also affect the relationship between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a vocal advocate for the BBC.
Trump mentioned his intention to discuss the matter with Starmer while speaking to reporters on Friday.
“I’m going to call him over the weekend. He actually initiated a call to me. He’s very embarrassed,” Trump stated.
Starmer defended the corporation earlier this week as public outrage escalated. “I believe in a strong and independent BBC,” he commented. “Some would prefer the BBC not to exist; I am not among them.”
Trump’s criticisms of the BBC have provided leverage to longstanding domestic detractors of the publicly funded broadcaster in the United Kingdom, who contend that it exhibits a liberal bias and ought to be defunded.
Shah apologized for the “error of judgment” in a letter to the Parliamentary Culture, Media and Sport Committee. On Friday, Culture Minister Lisa Nandy remarked that the apology was “right and necessary.”
The legal threat directed at the BBC mirrors several previous lawsuits filed by Trump against media outlets he alleges have demonstrated bias towards him. Last year, Trump sued CBS’ parent company, Paramount, alleging that the program 60 Minutes had selectively edited an interview with Kamala Harris.
CBS refuted claims of breaching journalistic standards, however, Paramount agreed at the start of July to pay $16 million to resolve the lawsuit and to publish transcripts of future 60 Minutes interviews involving presidential candidates.
Soon after Trump’s speech at the White House Ellipse, a violent crowd breached the U.S. Capitol in a demonstration fueled by his unsubstantiated claims of election denial, propagated by the president. Some engaged in vandalism and looting, and over 1,000 individuals received sentences for their involvement before Trump ultimately pardoned the attackers during his second presidential term.
A 2024 report from (CREW) indicates that over 200 defendants in the January 6 cases declared in statements and filings that Trump incited their participation in the riot, with 120 specifically mentioning Trump’s comments as their motivation for heading to the Capitol.
TIME has contacted the BBC for a statement.