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President Donald Trump said he plans to sue the BBC for as much as $5 billion over a Panorama segment that used an edited version of one of his speeches, an incident that has triggered a leadership crisis for the public broadcaster.
In an interview with The Telegraph aboard Air Force One, President Trump said he expects to file a claim as early as next week, seeking “between $1 billion and $5 billion.” Asked why he intends to proceed despite a BBC apology, he said, “I think I have to.”
President Trump said Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “very embarrassed” by the situation and that he planned to speak with him over the weekend.
The controversy centers on a Panorama episode that combined parts of two separate President Trump remarks delivered nearly an hour apart on Jan. 6, 2021, creating the impression that he had encouraged supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol. The BBC apologized Thursday after the president threatened a $1 billion lawsuit if the broadcaster did not retract the segment. The corporation denied defamation but acknowledged the mistake.
Trump praised The Telegraph for its reporting on the issue and compared the case to an earlier dispute with CBS’s 60 Minutes. He previously sued CBS for allegedly editing an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris; that case was settled this year for $16 million, far below the initial $10 billion claim.
According to The Telegraph, Panorama combined the line “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol…” with the later statement, “We fight like hell,” creating a version that suggested that the president urged supporters to march with him and fight.
Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness resigned after criticism of the broadcaster’s handling of the matter. The BBC also agreed not to re-air the Panorama episode.
A senior White House official said Monday that the administration may consider limiting the BBC’s access to open press events because the broadcaster acknowledged altering President Trump’s remarks. Such a move would block the BBC from covering press briefings, meetings with foreign heads of state, and major announcements on White House grounds.