TRUMP SAYS BBC LAWSUIT IS HIS ‘OBLIGATION’ – US President threatens to sue BBC over contrived speech edit
US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of defrauding the public over its handling of an edited speech he made before the January 6th, 2021, Capitol riots.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he felt an “obligation” to take legal action, claiming the BBC’s coverage was misleading. His legal team has issued a formal letter to the corporation, demanding that what it calls “false and defamatory statements” be retracted by Friday, or face a potential $1 billion lawsuit.
The row comes after BBC Director-General Tim Davie resigned on Sunday, following controversy surrounding the editing of Trump’s speech for a Panorama documentary. Deborah Turness, head of BBC News, also stepped down in the aftermath.
Downing Street has confirmed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not spoken directly to Trump about the matter.
Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Parliament that the government will begin the BBC Charter review process, which determines the corporation’s future remit and governance. She said the review would aim to ensure the BBC remains “fiercely independent and genuinely accountable.”
Nandy also urged MPs to differentiate between “editorial failings” and “attacks on the institution itself,” calling the BBC a “national institution that belongs to us all.”
The BBC’s current charter expires in 2027, and the review comes amid mounting scrutiny over editorial standards and impartiality within the organisation.
