President Trump threatens $1 billion lawsuit against BBC

President Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for at least $1 billion, demanding that the network retract what his attorneys describe as “false and defamatory” statements made in a Panorama documentary about the January 6 Capitol attack that aired before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

In a letter addressed to BBC Studios Productions Chairman Samir Shah and General Counsel Sarah Jones, Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito accused the broadcaster of deliberately misleading viewers in the program ‘Trump: A Second Chance?,’ which aired in late October 2024.

The letter demands a full retraction, a public apology, and compensation for what it calls “overwhelming financial and reputational harm.”

According to the correspondence, the BBC “intentionally sought to mislead its viewers” by editing separate excerpts of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech to make it appear as though he had incited violence at the U.S. Capitol.

The letter cites an internal whistleblower memo that allegedly shows footage was “spliced together” to distort Trump’s remarks.

“Failure to comply will leave President Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to recover damages,” Brito wrote, warning that if the BBC does not issue a retraction and apology by November 14, the President will file a lawsuit seeking at least $1 billion in damages.

The legal threat comes a day after BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News Chief Executive Deborah Turness resigned amid mounting controversy over the documentary.

Turness said the Panorama episode had “reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC,” while Davie cited “the current debate around BBC News” as a factor in his decision to step down. Both Davie and Turness have previously denied allegations of political bias but acknowledged that “mistakes have been made.”

The Panorama program, which examined Trump’s political comeback, aired one week before the 2024 election. It has faced intense scrutiny since The Telegraph reported that internal concerns were raised about its editing practices prior to broadcast.