Former US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sue the BBC for up to $5 billion over alleged defamation linked to a misleading edit of one of his speeches.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said he intends to file the lawsuit “probably next week” and claimed the BBC admitted to wrongdoing.
The controversy centres on the BBC’s flagship investigative programme, “Panorama,” which last week aired heavily edited footage of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech. The edits appeared to show Trump explicitly calling on supporters to attack the US Capitol.
The programme aired shortly before the 2024 US presidential election, prompting criticism from Trump and his supporters. “The British people are very angry about what happened because it proves the BBC is nothing but fake news,” Trump said.
He also revealed plans to discuss the incident with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently pledged to defend a “strong and independent BBC.” Trump claimed, “I’ll call him this week."
