Donald Trump Threatens $1 Billion Lawsuit Against BBC Over Edited January 6 Speech in Panorama Documentary

Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, accusing it of falsely editing his January 6 speech in a Panorama documentary. BBC executives resign amid controversy and apology from Chairman Samir Shah.

Philip

Nov 11, 2025 - 00:15

Donald Trump Threatens $1 Billion Lawsuit Against BBC Over Edited January 6 Speech in Panorama Documentary

US President Donald Trump has threatened the BBC with $1 billion in legal action over editing his speech in a documentary.

In a letter to the corporation, his legal team demanded the BBC "immediately withdraw" the Panorama programme by November 14, calling it "false and defamatory."

This comes after BBC Chairman Samir Shah apologized for the "mistake" over the editing and said the BBC was considering how to respond to Trump.

BBC Director General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness resigned on Sunday night after a leaked memo criticized a 2024 Panorama program about the US president.

A memo written by former BBC consultant Michael Prescott stated that two parts of Trump's speech were spliced together in the program to make it appear as if he was explicitly encouraging the January 2021 Capitol Hill riots.

In a letter to MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Shah said the edit "created the impression that it was a direct call for violent action."

He further stated that it was "absolutely false" to suggest that the BBC had done nothing to address the issues raised, and in a later interview, he insisted that there was no systemic bias at the BBC.