Trump says he has ‘obligation’ to sue BBC over edited speech
US President Donald Trump has said he has an “obligation” to sue the BBC for allegedly misrepresenting his January 6, 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary.
Speaking on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle, Trump claimed his remarks during the address were “butchered” and “defrauded the public.” His comments come days after his lawyers sent a legal notice to the BBC demanding a full retraction, apology, and $1 billion (£759 million) in damages, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
“They actually changed my January 6 speech, which was a beautiful, very calming speech, and they made it sound radical,” Trump said. “What they did was rather incredible. I think I have an obligation to do it because you can’t allow people to do that.”
The BBC received the legal letter on Sunday, which set a Friday 22:00 GMT (17:00 EST) deadline for the corporation to respond. The broadcaster said it would reply “in due course.”
The disputed edit appeared in a Panorama documentary aired just before the 2024 US presidential election. The issue resurfaced last week after the Daily Telegraph published a leaked BBC memo written by former editorial adviser Michael Prescott, who raised concerns that the programme had misleadingly implied Trump encouraged the Capitol riot.
In the original speech, Trump said:
“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
However, in the Panorama version, the clip was edited to show him saying:
“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
The fallout has led to the resignation of BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness, both of whom defended the BBC’s broader record but acknowledged “mistakes that have cost us.”
BBC chair Samir Shah has already apologised for what he called an “error of judgement.” The controversy arrives as the broadcaster faces heightened political scrutiny ahead of negotiations over its royal charter renewal, which expires at the end of 2027.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Parliament that the upcoming talks would aim to “renew the BBC’s mission for the modern age” while ensuring accountability.
“There is a fundamental difference between raising serious concerns over editorial failings and launching a sustained attack on the institution itself,” she said.
Downing Street described the matter as an internal issue for the BBC, declining to comment on “any ongoing legal matters.”
The parliamentary Culture, Media and Sport Committee is expected to summon senior BBC figures — including Shah and board members Sir Robbie Gibb and Caroline Thomson — for questioning. Prescott, the author of the leaked memo, will also be invited to give evidence.
Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team has hinted that the BBC case may set a precedent for further action against media outlets accused of misrepresenting his record.
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