Trump threatens to sue BBC for a billion dollars over Panorama edit

Donald Trump has threatened a billion-dollar legal action against the BBC over the editing of a Panorama documentary.

BBC chairman Samir Shah has apologised for an “error of judgment” over the editing of a speech by Mr Trump before the attack on the US Capitol on January 6 2021.

The apology follows the resignation of two of the corporation’s most senior figures on Sunday – chief executive of BBC News Deborah Turness and director-general Tim Davie – who announced their departure from the BBC after concerns were raised in Michael Prescott’s report that the speech had been selectively edited.

The Prescott memo raised concerns about the way clips of Mr Trump’s speech were spliced together to make it appear he had told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell”.

The letter, from Trump counsel Alejandro Brito, demands that “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” made about Mr Trump must be retracted immediately, Fox News reported.

Critics said the Panorama edit was misleading and removed a section where Mr Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We will review the letter and respond directly in due course.”

The document from Mr Trump’s lawyers adds: “Failure to comply will leave President Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to recover damages for the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that the BBC has caused him to suffer, with all rights and remedies being expressly reserved by President Trump.”

The letter gives the corporation a Friday deadline to respond, adding if it does not, Mr Trump will be “left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than 1,000,000,000 dollars in damages.”

It concludes: “The BBC is on notice.”

Mr Trump has a history of suing news organisations in the US.

He previously settled a defamation case against ABC News after star anchor George Stephanopoulos falsely said he had been found “liable for rape”.

Mr Trump also settled a legal dispute with CBS News over an interview it broadcast on its 60 Minutes programme with former vice president Kamala Harris.

He is currently engaged in legal action with the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Mr Trump has also taken action against the Associated Press after the wire service refused to call the Gulf of Mexico by his preferred name for it: the Gulf of America.

Responding to a letter from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS), Mr Shah said there have been more than 500 complaints since the publication of Mr Prescott’s memo raising concerns about the editing of Panorama.

He said: “We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.”

However, he said it is “simply not true” that Mr Prescott, a former external advisor to the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards committee (EGSC), “uncovered” issues that the BBC has sought to “bury”.

He added: “The issues raised by Mr Prescott are precisely the issues that have been considered by the EGSC and the board.”

He continued: “There is another view that has gained currency in the coverage that the BBC has done nothing to tackle these problems.

“That is also simply not true.”

Downing Street has said the BBC is not corrupt nor institutionally biased, appearing to hit back at critics of the public broadcaster including Mr Trump.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “On the question of is the BBC corrupt?: No. The BBC has a vital role in an age of disinformation… where there’s a clear argument for a robust, impartial British news service to deliver, and that case is stronger than ever.”

Mr Shah said the BBC board will revisit every item set out in Mr Prescott’s memo, including the editing of the Trump speech and the reporting of casualty figures in Gaza and “will take further action where appropriate.”

He added: “I would like to assure you and the committee that I am absolutely clear that the BBC must champion impartiality… There is an increasing need for the public to be informed in a way that is impartial, truthful and is based on evidence they can trust. That is the sacred job of the BBC.”