The U.S. president has threatened to sue Britain’s public broadcaster, the BBC, for $1 billion over what he claims was a “defamatory and dishonest” documentary aired last year that he says caused “overwhelming financial and reputational harm.”
The Panorama documentary, broadcast just days before the U.S. presidential election, featured Trump’s 2021 speech before the Capitol riot. His legal team says the program “falsely spliced” two different sections of that speech, misleading viewers into thinking Trump urged supporters to “fight like hell” without including his call to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
BBC Chair Samir Shah has since apologized for what he called an “error of judgment.” Still, Trump’s lawyers insist that a simple apology isn’t enough, demanding a full retraction and financial damages. The broadcaster has until Friday night to respond.
The controversy comes at a sensitive moment for the BBC, which is already reeling from internal turmoil. Its Director General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness both resigned over the weekend, following backlash to an ombudsman’s report criticizing the network’s editorial oversight of the Trump film and its coverage of the Gaza war.
Trump told Fox News that he felt “an obligation” to take legal action, accusing the BBC of having “defrauded the public” and “butchered” his remarks. Legal experts, however, are divided on whether the lawsuit stands a real chance.
Trump’s team plans to sue in Florida, where the statute of limitations for defamation is two years — compared to one year in the U.K., where the deadline has already expired. The challenge will be proving that the documentary was distributed widely enough in the U.S. to justify jurisdiction.
Even if the case proceeds, U.S. defamation law heavily favors publishers under the First Amendment’s free speech protections. Trump would have to prove the BBC acted with “actual malice” knowingly publishing false information or showing reckless disregard for the truth.
Legal analysts also warn that the move could backfire. Any court case would likely require revisiting Trump’s Jan. 6 remarks in exhaustive detail, potentially reigniting debate over his role in the riot.
Still, the BBC may seek to settle quietly. Trump has recently reached out-of-court agreements with U.S. media outlets, including ABC and CBS, over disputed coverage.
