President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the BBC for up to $10 billion, claiming that edited clips of his January 6, 2021, speech defamed him. The edited footage made it seem like he told supporters to storm the U. S. Capitol, without showing his call for peaceful protest. Trump argues the BBC’s edits harmed his reputation and violated Florida law against deceptive practices, seeking $5 billion for each of the two counts in his suit.
The BBC acknowledged it made an error in judgment when airing the edited footage, which created a misleading impression of Trump’s words, and it previously apologized to him. However, the BBC plans to defend itself legally, stating there is no valid reason for the lawsuit. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the legal matter is specifically between Trump and the BBC, emphasizing the importance of a strong and independent broadcaster.
Despite the BBC’s apology, Trump criticized the corporation for lacking actual remorse and failing to implement changes to prevent future mistakes. The BBC operates on funds from a compulsory license fee paid by UK viewers, raising concerns about the political implications of any potential payout to Trump. With total revenue of about 5.9 billion pounds in the last financial year, a payment could be controversial.
The lawsuit has posed significant risks for the BBC and already triggered the resignations of its top executives due to the resulting public relations crisis. Trump’s legal representatives argue that the BBC’s actions caused him considerable reputational and financial damage. Though the BBC asserts that the documentary was not broadcast in the U. S., it is available on the BritBox streaming platform in the U. S., and Canadian company Blue Ant Media has rights to distribute it in North America.
The BBC denies the defamation claims, arguing it could prove the documentary was ultimately true and assert that the editing did not create a false impression. Trump has previously sued other media organizations, such as CBS and ABC, successfully reaching settlements. The attack on the U. S. Capitol aimed to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
With information from Reuters