The BBC said Saturday it has had "no further contact from President Trump's lawyers at this point" after Donald Trump threatened to sue the broadcaster for up to $5 billion. A BBC spokesperson added that the corporation's "position remains the same" following its apology over a controversial Panorama documentary.
Trump told reporters on board Air Force One Friday he would file the lawsuit "probably sometime next week" for "anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion." In an interview with GB News broadcast Saturday, he said he had an "obligation" to sue: "This was so egregious. If you don't do it, you don't stop it from happening again with other people."
The dispute centers on a Panorama episode broadcast a week before the 2024 US election that edited Trump's January 6, 2021 speech. The BBC spliced clips together making it appear Trump told the crowd: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol… and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell." The BBC apologized Thursday, calling the edit an "error of judgment" that gave the "mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action."
Executive Fallout
The controversy led to the resignations of two senior BBC executives: director-general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness. Davie told staff earlier this week: "We are a unique and precious organisation, and I see the free press under pressure, I see the weaponisation. I think we've got to fight for our journalism."
BBC's Defense
The broadcaster has set out five main arguments against a defamation claim: The documentary didn't air on US channels and was UK-only on iPlayer; it didn't cause Trump harm as he was later re-elected; the edit was designed to shorten a long speech, not done with malice; it should be considered as part of an hour-long programme; and political speech is heavily protected under US defamation laws.
BBC chairman Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House Thursday apologizing for the editing. The BBC stated: "While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim." The broadcaster said it will not air the Panorama episode again and has started a review into its editorial standards committee.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
