US President Donald Trump has initiated a colossal legal battle against the British Broadcasting Corporation, filing a lawsuit demanding £7.5 billion in damages. The claim centres on an edited version of his speech from January 6, 2021, featured in a BBC Panorama documentary.
The Core of the Legal Claim
Documents submitted to a court in Florida allege that the BBC acted "intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively" by splicing together sections of Mr Trump's speech that were delivered almost an hour apart. The edited clip suggested he told supporters: "We are going to walk down to the Capitol and I will be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell."
The 33-page lawsuit accuses the broadcaster of creating a "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of Trump." It further claims the Panorama programme was "a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence" the 2024 US presidential election.
Breakdown of the Staggering Damages
The financial claim is split into two equal parts. Trump's legal team is seeking £3.7 billion for defamation, and an identical £3.7 billion for alleged violations of trade practices. Although the documentary was not broadcast on US television, the lawsuit notes it was available for viewing on the subscription streaming service BritBox.
Fallout and Immediate Reactions
The controversy first erupted earlier this year following a leaked internal memo that raised concerns about the edit. The scandal led to the resignations of both Tim Davie, the BBC's Director-General, and Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News.
President Trump announced the impending lawsuit during a press conference in Washington on Monday afternoon. "In a little while, you’ll be seeing I’m suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth literally. They had me saying things that I never said," he stated, adding that the suit would be filed "probably this afternoon or tomorrow morning."
The BBC has stated that it has not yet formally responded to the legal filing. This lawsuit marks one of the most significant and high-value legal challenges ever faced by the British public service broadcaster.
