President Donald Trump has confirmed he intends to sue the BBC for up to $5 billion over a Panorama broadcast that used an edited version of one of his speeches.
Speaking to The Telegraph aboard Air Force One, Trump said he expects to file a damages claim as early as next week, seeking “between $1 billion and $5 billion.”
“I think I have to,” he said.
Trump added that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was “very embarrassed” by the incident and said he planned to speak with him over the weekend.
Earlier this month, The Telegraph reported that Panorama had combined parts of two separate Trump statements, delivered nearly an hour apart on Jan. 6, 2021, creating the impression that he had encouraged the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
The BBC issued an apology on Thursday after Trump threatened a $1 billion lawsuit if it did not retract the edit. The corporation denied defaming him but acknowledged the mistake.
Despite the apology, Trump said Friday night that he still plans to pursue legal action and may seek significantly higher damages.
“They changed the words coming out of my mouth,” he said, accusing the broadcaster of “cheating.” He claimed the episode had angered people in the UK and described the BBC as “fake news.”
Trump praised The Telegraph for what he called “a great service” in reporting on the issue and compared the incident to an earlier controversy involving CBS’s 60 Minutes. He previously sued CBS for allegedly editing an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris; that case was settled this year for $16 million, down from an initial $10 billion claim.
In a separate interview with GB News, Trump said he felt an “obligation” to challenge the BBC, describing the edit as “egregious” and calling the corporation “corrupt” and “beyond fake.”
The BBC has said the edit was unintentional, a claim Trump dismissed. “When you say it’s unintentional, I guess if it’s unintentional, you don’t apologise,” he said.
According to The Telegraph, Panorama combined Trump’s remarks “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol…” with a later line, “We fight like hell,” creating a version in which Trump appeared to urge supporters to march with him and fight.
The controversy has prompted a crisis inside the BBC. Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness resigned on Sunday amid criticism of the handling of the matter, in what some insiders described as the broadcaster’s most serious scandal since the revelations involving Jimmy Savile more than a decade ago. The BBC has agreed not to re-air the Panorama episode.
The Telegraph also reported on Thursday that a 2022 edition of BBC Newsnight had similarly edited footage of Trump’s speech to suggest he incited violence.
Trump questioned whether other UK political figures, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, may also have been misrepresented.
A senior White House official said Monday that the administration could consider limiting the BBC’s access to open press events because the broadcaster had admitted to altering Trump’s remarks. Such a step would bar the BBC from covering press briefings, meetings with foreign leaders, and major announcements on White House grounds.
During the GB News interview, Trump also criticised London mayor Sadiq Khan, claiming without evidence that crime in the city has surged, that there are “no-go” areas governed by sharia law, and that police avoid parts of the capital. He called Khan a “nasty person.”
Trump further alleged that migrants from “some of the worst places on Earth” were entering the UK in large numbers and “destroying your country.” He warned European leaders that immigration would “destroy” their nations if mishandled.
He also criticized the UK government for limiting North Sea oil and gas development, calling the region “one of the greatest energy fields in the world” and arguing that the country was “destroying” itself with widespread wind-power expansion.
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