The former president says the corporation “changed the words coming out of my mouth”
President Donald Trump has confirmed that he intends to sue the BBC for as much as $5 billion after its Panorama program aired an edited, misleading version of one of his Jan. 6 speeches — a scandal so severe it triggered the resignation of the BBC’s Director-General and its head of news. Quite the achievement for a “totally innocent mistake,” as the BBC calls it.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told The Telegraph that he expects to file a damages claim “between $1 billion and $5 billion” as early as next week. “I think I have to,” he said — a reasonable reaction when one of the world’s largest broadcasters splices together two speeches nearly an hour apart to make you look like you said something you never did.
Trump also said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “very embarrassed” by the debacle and planned to discuss the incident with him over the weekend. Hard to blame Starmer — having your state broadcaster caught fabricating a narrative isn’t exactly great for optics.
The controversy began when The Telegraph revealed that Panorama had stitched together Trump’s line, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol…” with a completely separate remark delivered almost an hour later: “We fight like hell.” The edit created a false impression that Trump was urging supporters to march with him and fight. The BBC apologized on Thursday — but denied defamation, of course, because heaven forbid they admit to exactly what they did.
Despite the apology, Trump announced that he still plans to move forward with legal action, accusing the broadcaster of “cheating” and saying, “They changed the words coming out of my mouth.” He added that people in the UK were furious, calling the BBC “fake news.” Looks like the phrase translates globally.
Trump praised The Telegraph for providing “a great service” by exposing the doctored footage and compared the situation to a previous controversy involving CBS’s 60 Minutes. Trump’s lawsuit against CBS — originally a $10 billion claim — was settled earlier this year for $16 million after the network allegedly edited an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. It seems some media outlets just can’t help themselves.
In an interview with GB News, Trump said he felt an “obligation” to challenge the BBC, calling the edit “egregious” and labeling the corporation “corrupt” and “beyond fake.” The BBC insists it was unintentional — which Trump dismissed bluntly: “I guess if it’s unintentional, you don’t apologize.”
The fallout inside the BBC has been massive. Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness both resigned Sunday following internal criticism over the incident — described by insiders as the network’s worst crisis since the Jimmy Savile revelations more than a decade ago. Panorama will not be re-aired.
The Telegraph also reported that a 2022 edition of BBC Newsnight similarly edited footage of Trump’s remarks to imply he incited violence. Trump questioned whether other public figures — including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage — may have been misrepresented the same way.
A senior White House official said Monday the administration may consider restricting the BBC’s access to open press events, given its admission that it altered Trump’s remarks. Such a move would effectively bar the broadcaster from press briefings, foreign-leader meetings, and major announcements.
During his GB News interview, Trump also criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan, saying crime had surged, claiming there were “no-go” zones governed by sharia law, and calling Khan a “nasty person.” He warned that mass migration from “some of the worst places on Earth” was damaging the UK, adding that Europe could face the same fate if it mishandles immigration.
Trump also criticized the UK’s restrictions on North Sea oil and gas development — calling it “one of the greatest energy fields in the world” — and said the country was “destroying” itself with an obsession over wind power.
While the BBC tries to explain away one of the most damaging scandals in its history, Trump is taking decisive action, defending his record, and — once again — exposing what happens when powerful institutions think they’ll never be held accountable. And if there’s one thing this episode proves, it’s that the truth still has a funny way of coming out… especially when Trump is the one dragging it into the light.
