Trump Plans Lawsuit Against BBC Over Edited Video
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he intends to file a lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the coming days, seeking damages ranging from $1 billion to $5 billion, according to Reuters.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated:
"We are going to sue them for between one billion and five billion dollars, probably sometime next week. I feel I must do this. They have even acknowledged their wrongdoing."
Trump's legal team sent an official notice to the BBC on Monday, accusing the broadcaster of defaming the former president by airing an edited video of his speech prior to the January 2021 Capitol riot. 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 spreading false news."
He mentioned 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. Trump said, "I will call him this weekend. He actually called me; he feels very embarrassed."
For its part, the BBC issued a personal apology to Trump on Thursday for the editing of his speech but denied that there is a legal basis for a lawsuit. In a statement, the BBC announced that it would no longer air the program "Panorama" and expressed regret over the editing, but emphasized: "We absolutely do not believe there is a basis for a defamation claim."
The leak of internal accusations 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 officials, intensifying the crisis and prompting Trump's threat of legal action.
The BBC now faces the possibility that viewer funds may be used to compensate the former president for the error, a situation that observers note could be damaging for the broadcaster's reputation.
