President Donald Trump is set to initiate a lawsuit against the BBC this Friday concerning the editing of his January 6, 2021, speech that was altered in the documentary series “Panorama,” according to reports.
“We’ll likely file a lawsuit next week for something between $1 billion and $5 billion,” Trump mentioned to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday evening.
He also plans to discuss the situation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the weekend, as noted by BBC News.
A spokesperson for the BBC indicated that their lawyers have responded to Trump’s legal team following a letter they received on Sunday. “BBC Chairman Sameer Shah has sent a letter to the White House expressing regret over the edits made to President Trump’s speech on January 6, which was aired in the program,” the spokesperson elaborated.
They clarified that there are no plans to broadcast the controversial documentary again on any BBC platforms.
“The BBC sincerely regrets how the video clip was cut but firmly disagrees that the defamation claim holds any merit,” the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, criticism has mounted toward the BBC regarding the “Panorama” documentary, which focused on Trump’s speech before the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Some critics argue that the documentary misled viewers by omitting Trump’s call for peaceful protests and splicing his remarks, which were made nearly an hour apart, to make them sound like a continuous statement.
The BBC acknowledged on Friday that the editing created a “false impression” that Trump was directly inciting violence, but emphasized that there was no intention to mislead.
Previously, Trump expressed threats of legal action if “false, defamatory, derogatory, and inflammatory statements” weren’t promptly retracted.
The uproar surrounding the issue resulted in the resignations of BBC News CEO Deborah Turnes and BBC Director-General Tim Davie.
“I resigned over the weekend due to the ongoing costs. However, I want to be clear: BBC News is not institutionally biased,” Turnes stated to reporters outside the BBC headquarters in London on Monday.
“Our journalists work hard and strive for impartiality. I stand behind their work. Mistakes happen, but there is no systemic bias,” he added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to both the White House and the BBC for further comments.
