Trump Says He Has ‘Duty’ to Sue BBC Over Edited Speech + Video

According to Rokna, citing BBC, US President Donald Trump has stated that he feels a “duty” to take legal action against the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of misrepresenting a portion of his January 6, 2021 speech in its Panorama documentary.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said his remarks from that day had been “butchered” and “deceptively presented,” misleading viewers about his intent. It marks the first time the president has publicly commented on the issue since his lawyers sent a letter to the BBC threatening a $1 billion (£759 million) lawsuit unless the network retracts the documentary, apologizes, and provides compensation.

BBC Chair Samir Shah has previously expressed regret over what he described as an “error of judgment” regarding the edited segment.

During his appearance on The Ingraham Angle, Trump was asked whether he would proceed with the lawsuit. “Well, I guess I have to — why not?” he replied. “They deceived the public, and they’ve admitted it. They actually changed my January 6 speech, which was a very calm and beautiful speech, and they made it sound extreme. What they did was unbelievable.”

Pressed again on whether he intends to move forward legally, Trump said, “I think I have an obligation to do it, because you can’t allow people to do that.”

The Fox News interview was recorded Monday, though the portion about the BBC wasn’t released until late Tuesday night in the United States.

The BBC received the legal notice from Trump’s attorneys on Sunday, demanding a “complete and fair retraction,” a formal apology, and appropriate compensation. The letter set a Friday 22:00 GMT (17:00 EST) deadline for the BBC to respond. The network has stated that it will reply “in due course.”

Since returning to the White House, Trump has issued legal threats against several media organizations for their coverage of him, settling with CBS News and ABC News for substantial sums and seeking action against The New York Times.

The controversial BBC edit appeared in a Panorama documentary broadcast days before the November 2024 US presidential election. However, the issue gained widespread attention only last week after the Daily Telegraph published a leaked internal BBC memo.

In that memo, a former adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee raised concerns that the edited version of Trump’s speech falsely implied he had incited the January 6 Capitol riot.

In reality, Trump had said: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” In the documentary, however, he appeared to say: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol... and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.” Trump used the word “fight” roughly 20 times in other parts of the speech.

The controversy has since prompted the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness. Both outgoing officials defended the BBC’s broader integrity, arguing that while mistakes were made, the organization continues to perform important public service journalism.

Speaking at an internal meeting Tuesday, Davie said, “We’ve made some costly mistakes, but we must stand our ground. This story is ours to tell — not just our critics’.” He added that the BBC “has gone through difficult times but continues to do excellent work that speaks louder than any attempt at distortion.”

Neither Davie nor Shah mentioned Trump’s lawsuit threat during their addresses to staff.

Downing Street has declined to comment, calling it “a matter for the BBC.” The Prime Minister’s spokesperson stated: “It would be inappropriate for the government to comment on any ongoing legal issue.”

The dispute comes at a delicate time for the BBC, as its royal charter — which defines its governance and funding structure — is due to expire at the end of 2027. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who will oversee the renewal negotiations, told Parliament the process would “modernize the BBC’s mission” and ensure it remains “truly accountable.”

She added, “There’s a difference between raising legitimate editorial concerns and waging an ongoing assault on the institution itself. The BBC isn’t merely a broadcaster — it’s a national institution that belongs to everyone.”

Parliament’s culture committee is expected to question senior BBC figures, including Shah, Sir Robbie Gibb, and Caroline Thomson, in the coming weeks. Michael Prescott, the former editorial adviser who authored the leaked memo, will also be invited to testify.

Meanwhile, BBC News has confirmed that the Reform UK party has withdrawn from a BBC-commissioned documentary about its rise, citing the ongoing controversy. According to an internal email, the party has revoked consent for the use of footage after granting “unprecedented access” to senior members.