U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion over what he described as a deliberate attempt to defame him through a misleadingly edited documentary.
A source close to Trump’s legal team confirmed to AFP on Monday that the BBC received a legal letter giving the broadcaster until Friday to retract the program and issue a public apology.
The controversy stems from a BBC Panorama documentary that edited a 2021 Trump speech before the U.S. Capitol riots, giving the false impression that he directly incited violence.
“The BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally and deceitfully editing its documentary to interfere in the presidential election,” Trump’s spokesman said in a statement.
He added that Trump “will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in lies, deception, and fake news.”
Diaspora Digital Media reported that the BBC Director-General Tim Davie resigned on Sunday following the fallout, alongside Deborah Turness, the corporation’s CEO of News.
The pair faced mounting criticism for bias and editorial manipulation within the network.
The BBC said earlier Monday it would “review” the letter from Trump’s legal team and admitted the edit was “misleading.”
The broadcaster issued an apology for implying that Trump made “a direct call for violent action” on January 6, 2021.
That day, Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
The lawsuit threat marks one of Trump’s most aggressive legal actions against a major foreign media outlet.
His team argues that the edited footage caused “severe reputational harm” and sought to “influence international opinion” ahead of the 2024 U.S. election.
Trump’s lawyers have warned that failure to meet the Friday deadline could lead to immediate court proceedings in both U.S. and U.K. jurisdictions.
The BBC has yet to issue a detailed response beyond confirming receipt of the complaint.