US President Donald Trump announced on Friday (14th) that he will sue the BBC for between US$1 billion (R5.3 billion) and US$5 billion (R26 billion) after the British television network apologized for misleading editing of a Republican speech but denied paying compensation.
“We’re going to sue them, probably within the next week, for $1 billion to $5 billion. I think we have to do that. They’ve even admitted to wrongdoing,” Trump said on the presidential plane.
The president’s lawyers sent a letter to the BBC this week, accusing the broadcaster of defaming the president in editing his 2021 speech in Parliament House. They asked the broadcaster to apologize and pay compensation by Friday this week.
President Trump said he would discuss the issue with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who supports the independence of broadcasters and has avoided antagonizing the US president.
“I’m going to call him this weekend, but he called me. I’m very confused,” Trump said.
On Monday, the BBC apologized for giving the impression that President Trump had incited “acts of violence” in a documentary aired last year before his supporters stormed the Houses of Parliament on January 6, 2021.
The incident put the group at the center of controversy and resulted in the resignation of its director general and the head of news channel BBC News.
On Thursday (13th), the television network announced that its board chairman, Sameer Shah, had sent a letter to the White House clearly expressing the president’s and the company’s regrets regarding the editing of the speech.
It added: “The BBC deeply regrets the way these images were edited, but categorically rejects the defamation claims as having no legal basis.”
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