Trump Vows to Sue BBC for $1bn Over Edited Speech, Accuses Broadcaster of ‘Defrauding the Public’

US President Donald Trump has declared that he has an “obligation” to sue the BBC for $1 billion, accusing the broadcaster of misleading the public by editing his January 6, 2021, speech in a Panorama documentary.

Speaking on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle, Trump said his words were “butchered” and presented in a way that “defrauded viewers.” He claimed that the BBC altered his remarks to make them sound more extreme, insisting that his address that day was “a beautiful and calming speech.”

Trump’s comments mark his first public statement on the issue since his lawyers issued a formal letter to the BBC demanding a retraction, apology, and financial compensation. The letter, received on Sunday, gave the corporation until Friday night to respond.

The BBC has acknowledged receipt of the letter, saying it is “reviewing” the claims and will “respond in due course.” The corporation’s chair, Samir Shah, previously apologised for an “error of judgment” over the edit, which appeared in a Panorama episode aired before the 2024 US presidential election.

In the controversial segment, two parts of Trump’s 2021 speech—spoken more than 50 minutes apart—were spliced together. The edit made it appear as though he said: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”

However, the original version had Trump urging supporters to “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”

The edit sparked outrage after the Daily Telegraph published a leaked internal BBC memo from a former editorial standards adviser, who warned that the changes could wrongly suggest Trump incited the Capitol riot.

The fallout has triggered a leadership shake-up within the BBC, with Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness both resigning. During an internal meeting, Davie urged staff to “fight” to restore trust in the organisation, saying, “We have made some mistakes that have cost us, but the BBC still does good work, and that speaks louder than any narrative against us.”

Downing Street described the matter as “a private issue for the BBC,” while Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Parliament that upcoming negotiations on the renewal of the BBC’s royal charter would focus on “accountability and modernisation.”

The controversy has also led Reform UK to withdraw from a BBC-commissioned documentary about its rise, citing concerns over “editorial integrity.”

Trump, who has previously reached settlements with CBS and ABC over coverage he described as defamatory, said he felt compelled to take legal action against the BBC. “I think I have an obligation to do it,” he said. “You can’t allow people to do that.”