Trump Announces Lawsuit Against BBC Over Edited Video
Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he intends to file a lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the coming days, seeking financial compensation between $1 billion and $5 billion, as reported by Reuters.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated:
"We will sue them for any amount between $1 billion and $5 billion, possibly sometime next week. I believe I have to do this. They even admitted their deception."
Trump's legal team sent an official notice to the BBC on Monday, accusing the network of defaming the president by airing an edited version of his speech prior to the January 2021 Capitol riots. They demanded an apology and compensation by Friday.
In comments made on Friday, Trump added:
"The people of the UK are very upset about what happened, as it shows that the BBC is providing fake news." He indicated that he plans to discuss the matter with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has expressed support for the BBC's independence while avoiding bias against Trump. He stated: "I will call him over the weekend. In fact, he called me, feeling quite embarrassed."
The BBC issued a personal apology to Trump on Thursday regarding the edited video but denied any legal basis for a lawsuit. In a statement, the BBC mentioned that it would not re-broadcast the program "Panorama" and expressed regret over the editing of the video, but emphasized: "We do not agree at all that there is a basis for a defamation lawsuit."
Internal leaks regarding bias within the BBC and the editing of Trump's speech on the day of the Capitol invasion led to the resignation of two senior executives, escalating the crisis and prompting Trump's threat of legal action.
The BBC now faces the possibility that taxpayer funds could be used to compensate Trump for the error, a situation that could provide ammunition for critics, according to observers.
