US president threatens legal war as UK network apologizes for ‘error in judgment’ in editing January 6 speech.
Published November 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump said he is likely to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation next week for up to $5 billion after the BBC admitted that it incorrectly edited a video of his speech, but said his claims had no legal basis.
“We’re going to sue them, probably within the next week, for between $1 billion and $5 billion. I think we have to do that. They’re even admitting wrongdoing,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One late Friday.
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Lawyers for President Trump sent a letter to the BBC on Monday, accusing it of defaming the president in a video of his speech before the 2021 Capitol riot, and claiming they are giving the BBC until Friday to apologize and pay compensation for what they called “overwhelming reputational and economic damage.”
The controversy centers on the BBC’s editing of President Trump’s remarks on January 6, 2021, the day his supporters stormed the US Capitol. The controversy plunged the network into its deepest crisis in decades, prompting the resignation of two senior leaders and sparking a wave of political scrutiny.
“As you can imagine, the British public is very angry about what happened because it shows that the BBC is fake news,” Trump said.
He added that he would raise the BBC issue with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has supported the broadcaster’s independence while avoiding antagonizing Mr Trump.
“I’m going to call him over the weekend. He actually called me. He’s very confused,” Trump said.
“Beyond fake, this is corrupt.”
The documentary, which aired on the BBC’s flagship program Panorama, spliced together three separate clips of President Trump’s January 6 speech. His lawyers argued that the edits were “false and defamatory,” arguing that the series gave the false impression that he was inciting a riot.
President Trump accused the BBC of misconduct in an interview with GB News. He called the edits “unbelievable” and likened them to election interference.
“I made a beautiful statement, and they made it into a statement that wasn’t beautiful,” he said. “Fake news was a great word, except it wasn’t strong enough. This is beyond fake, it’s corrupt.”
He dismissed the BBC’s apology as insufficient, claiming the broadcaster had pieced together statements made nearly an hour apart. “It’s incredible to paint the idea that I gave this offensive speech and incited a riot,” he said.
BBC chairman Sameer Shah personally apologized to the White House and told British MPs that the editing was an “error in judgment”. Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said Friday that the apology was “right and necessary.”
The crisis has already cost the BBC its director general, Tim Davie, and news director, Deborah Turnes, who both resigned this week amid accusations of bias and editorial failures.
