Trump says he will likely sue BBC for up to $5 billion over edited speech
Nov 14 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would likely sue the BBC next week for up to $5 billion after the British broadcaster admitted it improperly edited a video of a speech he gave, but insisted there was no legal basis for his claim.
The British Broadcasting Corporation has been plunged into its biggest crisis in decades after two senior leaders resigned following accusations of bias, including editing Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol.
Trump’s lawyers had initially set a deadline of Friday for the BBC to retract its documentary or face a lawsuit for “not less” than $1 billion. They also demanded an apology and compensation for what they called “overwhelming reputational and financial damage,” according to a letter seen by Reuters.
The BBC, which admitted the editing of Trump’s comments was an “error of judgement,” sent a personal apology to Trump on Thursday but said it would not broadcast the documentary and rejected the defamation claim.
“We will sue them for between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he headed to Florida for the weekend.
.@POTUS on BBC deceptively editing his speech: “Actually, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’ve never seen anything like it… I think that was worse than Kamala with News and 60 Minutes.” pic.twitter.com/M5ZjUSGRTI
– Quick Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 15, 2025
“,”guy”:”rich”,”goal”:{“author”:”Quick Response 47″,”author_url”:”https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47″,”cache_age”:86400,”description”:”.@POTUS on BBC deceptively editing his speech:”Actually, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’ve never seen anything like it… I think that was worse than Kamala with News and 60 Minutes.” pic.twitter.com/M5ZjUSGRTI— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 15, 2025nnn”,”options”:{“_hide_media”:{“label”:”Hide photos, videos and cards.”,”worth”:FAKE},”_maxwidth”:{“label”:”Fit Width”,”placeholder”:”220-550, in pixels”,”worth”:””},”_issue”:{“worth”:””,”values”:{“dark”:”Use dark theme”}}},”supplier_name”:”Twitter”,”thumbnail_height”:720,”thumbnail_url”:”https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1989503803654377474/img/BfxROmbOj1rHMtgd.jpg:large”,”thumbnail_width”:1280,”qualification”:”Quick Reply 47 on Twitter / X”,”guy”:”rich”,”URL”:”https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1989504908928643414″,”version”:”1.0″},”flags”:[],”improvements”:{},”complete bleeding”:FAKE,”options”:{“issue”:”news”,”device”:”office”,”editionInfo”:{“ID”:”us”,”name”:”US”,”link”:”https://www.News themezone.com”,”place”:”y_US”},”Original edition”:”us”,”esMapi”:FAKE,”esAmp”:FAKE,”it’s mobile”:FAKE,”esAdsFree”:FAKE,”enVideoEntry”:FAKE,”enEntry”:TRUE,”also mount”:FAKE,”Entry ID”:”6917f499e4b0b43a45c09b54″,”entryPermanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/entry/trump-says-likely-sue-bbc-5-billion-over-edited-speech_n_6917f499e4b0b43a45c09b54″,”entryTagsList”:”donald-trump, american-news, politics, media-news, bbc, @us_News themezone_now”,”sectionSlug”:”policy”,”departmentSlug”:”news-politics”,”sectionRedirectUrl”:null,”subcategories”:””,”it is wide”:FAKE,”enShopping”:FAKE,”Override header”:null,”no video ads”:FAKE,”disable float”:FAKE,”is native”:FAKE,”commercialVideo”:{“supplier”:”habit”,”site_and_category”:”we.politics”,”package”:null},”enHighline”:FAKE,”vidibleConfigValues”:{“cid”:”60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf”,”cancels”:{“front_page_top_videos”:{“office”:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”,”mobile web”:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”},”top_media”:{“office”:”60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147″,”mobile”:”60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee”,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”},”anthology”:{“office”:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”mobile”:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”},”content”:{“office”:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”mobile”:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”}},”playerUpdates”:{“5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6″:”60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443″,”56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8″:”60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81″,”5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f”:”60b8e355cdd90620331ba185″,”58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895″:”60b64316b171b7444beafdb2″,”58b74698f78ced31417819ae”:”60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52″,”58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1″:”60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5″,”58cff690d85a100b9992bc39″:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180″:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7″:”60b643c82e76be41f112735c”,”592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”5b35266b158f855373e28256″:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”,”5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a”:”60b64440b171b7444beb040b”,”5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9″:”60b646102e76be41f1127ffc”,”5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f”:”60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147″,”5c477987a6b48b35f164773d”:”60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee”,”5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371″:”60b8e747cdd90620331bb861″,”5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2″:”60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b”,”5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6″:”60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9″,”58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321″:”60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c”,”58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3″:”60d0dic19340d7032ad115a0″,”58cff8eccebcea42931e0436″:”60d0e005b627221e9d819d44″,”592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b”:”60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf”,”58cff72fd85a100b9992c112″:”60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da”,”56b4d34fe4b022697697c400″:”60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443″,”60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d”:”60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81″}},”connatixConfigValues”:{“default player”:”ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b”,”click to play player”:”d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0″,”video page player”:”f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145″,”vertical player”:”e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065″,”StickyPlayerControl”:”52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da”,”sticky player”:”8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22″,”noAdsPlayer”:”deeeda04-49cb-4a1d-ac6c-c388a685b58e”,”life page player”:”e1d799d2-2d81-4f27-bfa0-e6833a657659″},”topConnatixThumnbailSrc”:”https://img.connatix.com/a7c40b53-3de2-49a0-980e-e9a2258c05e1/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop”,”custom amplifier components”:[],”ampAssetsUrl”:”https://amp.assets.News themezone.com”,”videoTraits”:null,”position in units units”:{“head_buzz”:{“count”:0},”body_buzz”:{“count”:0},”buzz_bottom”:{“count”:0}},”position in subunits”:{“article_body”:{“count”:3},”summary_blog”:{“count”:0},”before_going_happy”:{“count”:0}},”connatixCountsHelper”:{“count”:1},”buzzfeedTracking”:{“context_page_id”:”6917f499e4b0b43a45c09b54″,”context_page_type”:”buzz”,”destination”:”post”,”mode”:”office”,”page_edit”:”es-us”},”labels”:[{[{“name”:”donald trump”,”slug”:”donald-trump”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”topic/donald-trump”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/donald-trump”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/donald-trump”},”department”:{“name”:”Latest news”,”slug”:”news-politics”},”section”:{“qualification”:”Policy”,”slug”:”policy”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”donald trump”,”slug”:”donald-trump”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/news/topic/donald-trump”},{“name”:”US News”,”slug”:”us-news”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”topic/us-news”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/us-news”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/us-news”},”descentSubjectId”:981465,”department”:{“name”:”Latest news”,”slug”:”news-politics”},”section”:{“qualification”:”World news”,”slug”:”world-news”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”USA”,”slug”:”USA”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/news/topic/united-states”},{“name”:”Policy”,”slug”:”policy”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”issue/policy”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/politics”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/politics”},”descentSubjectId”:982065,”department”:{“name”:”Latest news”,”slug”:”news-politics”},”section”:{“qualification”:”Policy”,”slug”:”policy”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”Politics News”,”slug”:”news-politics”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/news/topic/politics-news”},{“name”:”media news”,”slug”:”media-news”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”topic/news-media”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/media-news”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/media-news”},”department”:{“name”:”Latest news”,”slug”:”news-politics”},”section”:{“qualification”:”Media”,”slug”:”media”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”Media”,”slug”:”media”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/news/topic/media”},{“name”:”bbc”,”slug”:”bbc”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”topic/bbc”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/bbc”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News themezone.com/topic/bbc”},”department”:{“name”:”Latest news”,”slug”:”news-politics”},”section”:{“qualification”:”Media”,”slug”:”media”},”issue”:{“qualification”:”bbc news”,”slug”:”bbc-news”,”overrides section tag”:FAKE},”URL”:”https://www.News themezone.com/news/topic/bbc-news”}],”enLiveblogLive”:null,”enLiveblog”:FAKE,”backfillRelated articles”:[],”cet unit”:”body_buzz”,”enableIncontentPlayer”:FAKE,”bodyAds”:[[“
rnrn”,”
rnrn”,”
rnrn”],”ad count”:0,”midArticleAdPartner”:null},”enCollectionEmbed”:false}”>
.@POTUS on BBC misleadingly editing his speech: “I actually couldn’t believe it. I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’ve never seen anything like it… I think it was worse than the Kamala thing with News and 60 Minutes.” pic.twitter.com/M5ZjUSGRTI
– Quick Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 15, 2025
“I think I have to do that, I mean, they’ve even admitted to cheating,” he said. “The words that came out of my mouth changed.”
Trump said he had not discussed the issue with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with whom he has built a strong relationship, but planned to call him this weekend. He said Starmer had tried to contact him and was “very embarrassed” by the incident.
The documentary, which aired on the BBC’s flagship “Panorama” news programme, stitched together three video extracts from Trump’s speech, creating the impression that he was inciting the riots on January 6, 2021. His lawyers said this was “false and defamatory”.
‘BEYOND FALSE, THIS IS CORRUPT’
In an interview with right-wing British television channel GB News, Trump said the editing was “impossible to believe” and compared it to election interference.
“I made a beautiful statement and they turned it into a not beautiful statement,” he said. “Fake news was a great term, except it’s not strong enough. This goes beyond being false, it’s corrupt.”
Trump said the BBC’s apology was not enough.
“When you say it wasn’t intentional, I guess if it’s not intentional, you don’t apologize,” he said. “They cut out two parts of the speech that were almost an hour apart. It’s incredible to represent the idea that I had given this aggressive speech that caused a riot. One made me a bad guy and the other was a very calming statement.”
APOLOGY FROM THE BBC, THERE ARE NO PLANS TO RETRANSMIT
BBC chairman Samir Shah sent a personal apology to the White House on Thursday, telling lawmakers the edit was “an error of judgement.” The following day, British Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said the apology was “correct and necessary.”
The broadcaster said it had no plans to rebroadcast the documentary and was investigating new allegations about editing practices that included the speech on another program, “Newsnight.”
via News
THE BIGGEST CRISIS IN DECADES
The dispute has become the station’s most serious crisis in decades. Its CEO, Tim Davie, and news chief, Deborah Turness, resigned this week over the controversy amid accusations of bias and editing lapses.
Starmer told parliament on Wednesday he supported a “strong, independent BBC” but said the broadcaster must “get its house in order”.
“Some would rather the BBC didn’t exist. Some of them are sitting there,” he said, pointing to opposition Conservative lawmakers.
“I’m not one of them. In an age of misinformation, the case for an impartial British news service is stronger than ever.”
ForceHeFacts
Your supportFuelsOur Mission
Your supportFuelsOur Mission
The Trump administration hopes its deepest secrets remain hidden, but we will not stop demanding answers. Your membership strengthens journalism that holds those in power accountable. Join today.
We remain committed to bringing you the unwavering, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We are truly grateful for readers like you! Your early support helped get us here and strengthened our newsroom, keeping us strong in uncertain times. As we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
We remain committed to bringing you the unwavering, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We are truly grateful for readers like you! Your early support helped get us here and strengthened our newsroom, keeping us strong in uncertain times. As we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
News themezone Support
Are you already a member? Sign in to hide these messages.
The BBC, founded in 1922 and funded mainly by a compulsory license fee, faces scrutiny over whether public money could be used to settle Trump’s claim.
Former media minister John Whittingdale said there would be “real anger” if license payers’ money covered the damage.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Andrea Shalal in Washington, Costas Pitas in Los Angeles, Sam Tabahriti in London; Editing by Leslie Adler, Tom Hogue and Shri Navaratnam)