Trump says will sue BBC for billions over video edit

AFP | Washington

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US President Donald Trump said he would sue the BBC for up to $5 billion, after the British broadcaster apologized but said it would not pay damages for a misleading speech edit.

The broadcaster has rejected Trump’s legal defamation claim, but the president appears determined not to let the matter rest, even after the departure of top BBC executives and as the controversy threatens to become a strain on ties with London.

“We’ll sue them for anywhere between a billion and five billion dollars, probably some time next week. I think I have to do it. They’ve even admitted that they cheated,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Trump earlier said he would sue the BBC for $1 billion, an already enormous sum that represents 13 percent of the organization’s annual revenue. It is mostly funded by a license fee paid by the British public.

The broadcaster has been in turmoil since the edited clip from its flagship news program “Panorama” -- aired before the 2024 presidential elections -- resurfaced last week.

On Monday, the BBC apologized for giving the impression in the documentary that Trump had directly urged “violent action” just before the assault on the US Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.

“The people of the UK are very angry about what happened, as you can imagine, because it shows the BBC is fake news,” Trump said on Friday.

He added that he planned to raise the issue with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has backed the broadcaster’s independence while avoiding taking sides against Trump.

“I’m going to call him over the weekend. He actually put a call into me. He’s very embarrassed,” Trump said.

Sensitive period for BBC

Trump’s lawyers sent the BBC a letter on Monday accusing the broadcaster of defaming the president and giving it until Friday to apologize and pay compensation.

The BBC said Thursday that its chairman Samir Shah had sent “a personal letter to the White House making clear to President Trump that he and the corporation are sorry for the edit of the president’s speech.”