Washington/London, U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his dispute with the BBC, announcing that he intends to file a lawsuit seeking between $1 billion and $5 billion in damages over what he claims was a “misleading and egregious” edit of one of his speeches aired by the British broadcaster.
The BBC has acknowledged that an edited clip from its program Panorama — originally broadcast ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election — created the false impression that Trump had directly encouraged violence before the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The corporation issued an apology earlier this week, but firmly rejected any basis for defamation or financial compensation.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said:
“We’ll sue them for anywhere between a billion and five billion dollars… They’ve even admitted they cheated.”
He also stated that he plans to raise the matter with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, claiming the UK leader is “very embarrassed” by the incident.
Political and Diplomatic Ripples in the UK
The controversy has triggered significant turmoil within the BBC. Several senior figures have resigned following public outrage over the misleading edit, which resurfaced last week and fuelled intense debate over the broadcaster’s impartiality. With the BBC preparing for negotiations over its next Royal Charter — expiring in 2027 — the dispute comes at a particularly sensitive time.
BBC chairman Samir Shah confirmed sending a personal apology letter to the White House, expressing regret over the editing error. However, the broadcaster maintains that no legal wrongdoing occurred, stating:
“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 corporation has also launched a review into a separate edit of another Trump speech broadcast on Newsnight in June 2022, which was reported by the Telegraph earlier this week.
A Clash Showing No Signs of Slowing Down
Trump, who previously floated a $1 billion claim, has now raised the stakes significantly, despite the BBC’s apology. He argues that the edit damaged his reputation and misled the public during a critical election period.
“This was so egregious,” Trump said in a GB News interview aired Friday. “If you don’t take action, this kind of thing will keep happening to other people.”
The dispute has sparked wider concerns about the future of U.S.–UK media relations and potential diplomatic complications, even as both governments attempt to navigate the fallout.