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US President Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for at least $1 billion after the broadcaster admitted it wrongly edited one of his speeches from January 6, 2021 — the day his supporters stormed the US Capitol.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for at least $1 billion.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 11, 2025 00:12 IST
US President Donald Trump’s lawyers have given the BBC until November 14 to retract a Panorama documentary that they say falsely and maliciously portrayed him as inciting violence. The programme had spliced together separate segments of his speech, creating what his legal team called a defamatory impression that he urged supporters to fight like hell and march with him to the Capitol.
The controversy has plunged the BBC into turmoil, leading to the resignations of its two top executives — Director General Tim Davie and News Chief Executive Deborah Turness — on Sunday. BBC chair Samir Shah apologised for what he described as “an error of judgment,” while denying accusations of systemic bias within the organisation, according to Reuters.
“The BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement,” Shah wrote in a letter to lawmakers, though he maintained the broadcaster’s journalism remains rooted in fairness and impartiality.
The BBC confirmed on Monday that it had received Trump’s legal notice. “We will review the letter and respond directly in due course,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
CRISIS DEEPENS INSIDE THE BBC
The crisis was triggered by the leak of an internal report criticising the broadcaster’s coverage across multiple issues, including the Trump edit, its reporting on the Israel-Gaza war, and transgender issues. The report, leaked to The Daily Telegraph, intensified scrutiny over BBC News’ editorial practices just months before the 2024 US presidential election, according to Reuters.
The Panorama programme in question reportedly edited three quotes from two different parts of Trump’s January 6 speech — nearly an hour apart — into what appeared to be one continuous statement. Omitted was the portion where Trump told supporters to demonstrate “peacefully.”
LEGAL AND POLITICAL FALLOUT
Trump’s lawyers accused the BBC of violating Florida defamation law by deliberately omitting context to mislead viewers. Under US law, however, public figures like Trump face a high bar to prove defamation, as they must show the publisher knowingly spread false information.
Several American media companies, including CBS and ABC News, have recently settled lawsuits filed by Trump. His team said the BBC edit was another example of media distortion aimed at damaging his reputation.
BBC DEFENDS ITS INTEGRITY
While accepting responsibility for the edit, BBC chair Samir Shah pushed back against claims of systemic bias. “There are individual errors, and there are lessons to be learned,” he told lawmakers, “but BBC News’ DNA and culture are to be impartial. We aim to provide the most trustworthy journalism possible.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office also voiced support for the BBC, saying the government did not believe the broadcaster was “institutionally biased or corrupt.”
“Clearly mistakes have been made,” a spokesperson said. “But what matters now is that the BBC maintains the high standards for which it is internationally recognised.”
- Ends
With inputs from Reuters
Published By:
Nitish Singh
Published On:
Nov 11, 2025
