Trump escalates BBC row, vows lawsuit seeking up to US$5 billion
President Donald Trump says he will sue the BBC for between US$1 billion and US$5 billion “next week”, intensifying a dispute over a Panorama edit the broadcaster has apologised for but insists is not defamatory.
- President Donald Trump says he will sue the BBC for between US$1 billion and US$5 billion “next week”.
- The threat follows the BBC’s apology over a misleading edit but refusal to pay damages.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterates support for an independent BBC while urging high standards.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on 14 November, 2025, President Donald Trump said he plans to sue the BBC “for anywhere between a billion and five billion dollars… probably some time next week.”
According to multiple outlets, he accused the broadcaster of having “cheated” the public.
Trump’s remarks follow a BBC retraction and apology issued on 14 November, 2025.
In that statement, the corporation accepted that a Panorama sequence combined excerpts from different points in his 6 January 2021 speech in a way that could mislead viewers.
The BBC removed the film, Trump: A Second Chance?, and said it will not be rebroadcast in its current form.
It added that while it “sincerely regrets” the edit, it “strongly disagrees” there is any basis for a defamation claim.
A BBC spokesperson said lawyers had replied to a letter from Trump’s legal team that set a deadline of Friday for an apology and compensation.
Chair Samir Shah also wrote a personal letter to the White House conveying regret for the edit.
Trump told reporters the people of the UK were “very angry” and branded the BBC “fake news.”
He said he intended to raise the matter directly with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, claiming Starmer was “very embarrassed.”
Starmer has said he supports a strong, independent BBC but that the broadcaster must “get its house in order” after the editing controversy.
His government has avoided taking sides in Trump’s dispute while urging high editorial standards.
The legal picture remains fluid.
Trump’s team previously threatened a US$1 billion action; Friday’s remarks increased the mooted quantum to as much as US$5 billion and suggested filing as early as next week.
Whether and where a claim would be filed is not yet clear.
Analysts note that jurisdiction and actual malice standards could be central if proceedings are brought in the United States, while damages norms differ sharply in the United Kingdom.
The row has already triggered leadership upheaval at the BBC.
Director-general Tim Davie and the head of news, Deborah Turness, resigned earlier this week amid mounting criticism of editorial oversight.
Separately, the BBC has said it is looking into a possible second instance involving a Newsnight segment from June 2022.
That broadcast allegedly stitched phrases from different parts of the same 6 January speech, raising similar concerns about signposting.
The dispute lands ahead of the next Royal Charter discussions, with the current charter due to end in 2027.
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