US President Donald Trump says he plans to take legal action against the BBC after the broadcaster acknowledged that an edited clip of his 6 January 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary created “the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action,” reported the BBC.
The BBC apologized for the error but declined to offer compensation.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said: “We’ll sue them for anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week.” He added: “They cheated. They changed the words coming out of my mouth.”
The issue centers on how Panorama combined two distant moments in Trump’s speech, blending the line “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol” and, more than 50 minutes later, “We fight. We fight like hell.” The edit appeared as a continuous passage in the programme that aired in October 2024, prompting criticism and ultimately the resignations of BBC director-general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness.
In its published correction, the BBC said the edit unintentionally misrepresented the speech and would not be rebroadcast.
The corporation stressed that it “strongly disagrees” there is a basis for defamation, noting that the program was UK-only, carried supportive voices, and was not created with malice. A spokesperson said the BBC has had “no further contact from President Trump’s lawyers.”
Trump told reporters he had not discussed the matter with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer but intends to speak with him.
As reported by CNN, Trump also sent a legal letter to the broadcaster demanding at least $1 billion in damages.
BBC chair Samir Shah called the edit an “error of judgment” but urged “perspective,” pointing to extensive high-quality journalism. Meanwhile, veteran figures including John Simpson and Alan Rusbridger warned that the broadcaster is facing coordinated political pressure.
Trump, in a separate interview, said he felt an “obligation” to sue so similar incidents do not happen again, calling the edit “egregious” and comparing it to a previous dispute involving CBS.
