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BBC vows to contest potential Trump lawsuit over panorama edit
The BBC has signaled it is prepared to challenge any legal action from US President Donald Trump, after he threatened to sue the broadcaster for up to $5 billion over the editing of one of his speeches in a Panorama documentary.
In an internal email to staff on Monday, BBC chair Samir Shah reassured employees that the corporation stands firm. “There is no basis for a defamation case and we are determined to fight this,” Shah wrote, noting that the organization remains mindful of its public funding and its responsibility to licence fee payers.
Trump announced over the weekend that he planned to file a lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the network of altering his January 6, 2021 speech to imply he had directly urged violent action. The broadcaster previously apologized, acknowledging that the edit created a “mistaken impression,” but insisted it would not offer financial compensation.
“They cheated. They changed the words coming out of my mouth,” Trump told journalists, claiming the lawsuit could be submitted as early as next week.
The fallout from the controversy has been significant for the BBC. The Panorama episode in question — Trump: A Second Chance? — has been permanently withdrawn, and the scandal led to the resignations of director-general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness. The broadcaster also published a formal retraction on the program’s webpage.
Despite these steps, BBC leadership maintains that the error, while serious, does not constitute defamation and says it intends to defend its position vigorously should the case proceed.