Trump confirms he will sue the BBC over Panorama edit - despite apology

Donald Trump has said helium volition writer the BBC for betwixt $1bn and $5bn implicit the editing of his code connected Panorama.

The US president confirmed helium would beryllium taking ineligible enactment against the broadcaster portion connected Air Force One overnight connected Saturday.

"We'll writer them. We'll writer them for anyplace betwixt a cardinal (£792m) and 5 cardinal dollars (£3.79bn), astir apt sometime adjacent week," helium told reporters.

"We person to bash it, they've adjacent admitted that they cheated. Not that they couldn't person not done that. They cheated. They changed the words coming retired of my mouth."

Mr Trump past told reporters helium would sermon the substance with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer implicit the weekend, and claimed "the radical of the UK are precise aggravated astir what happened... due to the fact that it shows the BBC is fake news".

The Daily Telegraph reported earlier this period that an interior memo raised concerns astir the BBC's editing of a code made by Mr Trump connected 6 January 2021, conscionable earlier a mob rioted astatine the US Capitol building, connected the quality programme.

The concerns respect clips spliced unneurotic from sections of the president's code to marque it look helium told supporters helium was going to locomotion to the US Capitol with them to "fight similar hell" successful the documentary Trump: A Second Chance?, which was broadcast by the BBC the week earlier past year's US election.

Following a backlash, some BBC director-general Tim Davie and BBC News main enforcement Deborah Turness resigned from their roles.

'No ground for defamation claim'

On Thursday, the broadcaster officially apologised to the president and added that it was an "error of judgement" and the programme volition "not beryllium broadcast again successful this signifier connected immoderate BBC platforms".

A spokesperson said that "the BBC sincerely regrets the mode successful which the video clip was edited," but they besides added that "we powerfully disagree determination is simply a ground for a defamation claim".

Earlier this week, Mr Trump's lawyers threatened to writer the BBC for $1bn unless it apologised, retracted the clip, and compensated him.

Legal challenges

But ineligible experts person said that Mr Trump would look challenges taking the lawsuit to tribunal successful the UK oregon the US.

The deadline to bring the lawsuit to UK courts, wherever defamation damages seldom transcend £100,000 ($132,000), has already expired due to the fact that the documentary aired successful October 2024, which is much than 1 year.

Also due to the fact that the documentary was not shown successful the US, it would beryllium hard to amusement that Americans thought little of the president due to the fact that of a programme they could not watch.

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Newsnight allegations

The BBC has said it was looking into caller allegations, published successful The Telegraph, that its Newsnight amusement besides selectively edited footage of the aforesaid code successful a study broadcast successful June 2022.

A BBC spokesperson said: "The BBC holds itself to the highest editorial standards. This substance has been brought to our attraction and we are present looking into it."