The BBC has said it will contest any defamation lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump, insisting there is no grounds for such a case.
The broadcaster responded after Trump announced on Friday that he planned to sue the BBC for up to $5 billion over an edited segment of his January 6, 2021, speech.
The edit combined separate parts of Trump’s speech, creating the impression he had encouraged violence as his supporters stormed the Capitol.
The BBC said its chair, Samir Shah, sent Trump a letter apologising for the edit, but it firmly rejected the idea that this provided a foundation for a defamation claim.
Trump told reporters he would sue for “anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion.” His lawyers said the edit had caused “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.” They plan to file the case in Florida, where restrictions on defamation claims differ from those in Britain. In the UK, the one-year filing window has already expired.
Shah, in an internal email to BBC employees on Monday, responded to speculation about possible legal action, costs, or settlements. He emphasised that the organisation remained mindful of its publicly funded status and its responsibility to protect licence fee payers. Shah stressed that the BBC’s stance was unchanged, saying there was no basis for a defamation case and that the corporation was determined to contest any such claim.
The disputed documentary was produced by a third party and aired in Britain ahead of the November 2024 U.S. election. It showed Trump telling supporters, “we're going to walk down to the Capitol” and that they should “fight like hell.” The second line came from a different point in his speech. Trump had actually told supporters they would “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
The edit was revealed after the Daily Telegraph published a leaked internal BBC report. The report, written by an independent adviser, also criticised the BBC’s coverage on other issues. It highlighted claims of anti-Israel bias in BBC Arabic and raised concerns about the lack of balance in reporting on trans issues. It led to the resignations of director-general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness.
The BBC is expected to argue that the programme was never broadcast in the United States and was not available on its U.S. streaming platforms. This would mean voters in Florida, where Trump intends to sue, could not have viewed the documentary. Legal experts say Trump will face a higher bar in the U.S., where freedom of speech protections are strong.
The BBC is also likely to challenge the claim of reputational harm by pointing out that Trump went on to win the election. It is expected to argue that the edit was not made with malice.