Trump threatens $1B defamation lawsuit against BBC over edited documentary clip

The United State president Donald Trump is threatening to sue the BBC for $1 billion, claiming the broadcaster aired an edited clip that misrepresented his remarks and damaged his reputation.

According to a report obtained from Instablog, Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, sent a letter to the BBC demanding the retraction of what were described as “false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading, and inflammatory statements” in the Panorama documentary Trump: A Second Chance?.

The letter calls for a full retraction and compensation by Friday, warning that failure to comply could result in legal action in Florida. Trump stated: “The BBC is on notice. PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY.”

The controversy centers on a clip suggesting Trump encouraged the January 6 Capitol riot. The aired footage showed him saying, “We fight like hell,” immediately after telling supporters, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol.”

An internal BBC memo later clarified that the “fight like hell” remark occurred nearly an hour later, after Trump had urged supporters to cheer for Congress members.

The backlash led to the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness. Trump welcomed the resignations on Truth Social, calling the officials “corrupt” and “very dishonest people.”

Legal experts suggest Trump may struggle to win the case due to strong U.S. free speech protections. Media law scholar Kyu Ho Youm said: “If there’s no actionable falsity, 1st Amendment law is irrelevant.”

BBC chair Samir Shah acknowledged the clip was misleading and apologized for the “error of judgement,” while denying claims of wider institutional bias.

Trump’s legal threat underscores tensions between media accountability and free speech, with both the former president and the BBC under scrutiny as the 2024 U.S. election approaches.

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