Trump threatens $1bn lawsuit as BBC apologises for editing error

November 11, 2025 (MLN): US President Donald Trump has threatened the BBC with a billion-dollar lawsuit after the broadcaster apologised for editing a speech in a way that gave the impression he urged "violent action" ahead of the 2021 assault on the US Capitol.

In a letter seen by AFP, Trump’s lawyers gave the British broadcaster until Friday to fully retract the documentary containing the edit, apologise, and "appropriately compensate" the president for the harm caused.

“If the BBC does not comply, President Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights… including by filing legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollars) in damages,” the letter stated.

"The BBC is on notice. PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY."

The BBC’s Director-General and the organisation’s top news executive resigned on Sunday amid the row, following accusations that a Panorama programme documentary last year featured extracts from a Trump speech that were edited misleadingly.

The BBC said it would "review" the letter from Trump’s legal team and issued a public apology for the editing error.

Trump supporters rioted at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn the certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

However, Trump’s legal team argued that the BBC edit created a "false, defamatory, malicious, disparaging, and inflammatory" impression of his speech outside the White House.

The edits suggested he told supporters he was going to walk to the Capitol with them and "fight like hell," while he also said during the speech: "We're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women."

The letter added that the “fabricated statements” aired by the BBC had been widely disseminated across digital platforms, reaching tens of millions of people worldwide, causing Trump “overwhelming financial and reputational harm.”

A spokesman for Trump’s legal team confirmed the letter had been sent and stated, "President Trump will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in lies, deception, and fake news."

Trump has previously filed lawsuits against several US media outlets, including ABC, CBS, and The New York Times, according to APP.

In a letter to MPs, BBC chairman Samir Shah acknowledged that editing Trump’s speech “did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.”

"The BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement," he added, pledging to reform oversight within the broadcaster.

Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness stepped down on Sunday following the escalating backlash.

Trump celebrated the resignations, accusing BBC journalists of being “corrupt” and “dishonest,” while his press secretary labelled the broadcaster “100-per cent fake news.”

However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman emphasised the BBC’s importance in combating disinformation:
"It's important that the BBC acts swiftly to maintain trust and correct mistakes quickly when they occur."

The government is preparing a review of the BBC’s charter, which governs the corporation’s governance and funding, set to expire in 2027.

The BBC, facing budget cuts and hundreds of job losses, is funded by a licence fee paid by anyone who watches live TV in Britain.

The BBC’s latest crisis intensified after the right-wing Daily Telegraph reported that warnings from a former external standards adviser about serious failings of impartiality and systemic bias had been ignored.

Earlier this year, the BBC also apologised for “serious flaws” in a documentary about the Gaza war, deemed “materially misleading” by the UK media watchdog.

Additionally, the broadcaster faced criticism for failing to remove a livestream of punk-rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, after anti-Israel comments were made by the frontman.

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