Trump Sues the BBC — But the UK Broadcaster Insists It Won’t Back Down |
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On Monday, President Donald Trump filed a multibillion dollar lawsuit against the BBC, alleging that the British broadcaster unfairly defamed him by airing a documentary with a questionable edit last year.
In response, the BBC pointed out that it has apologized for the edit but said that the error did not amount to defamation, and that they plan a full-throated opposition to the litigation.
At issue is a documentary that aired on the BBC’s “Panorama” program, which was entitled “Trump: A Second Chance?” The documentary explored the 2024 presidential race, with particular emphasis on what a second Trump presidency could mean.
The film includes footage of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech to his supporters outside of the White House, which was followed by a mob of his loyalists attacking the U.S. Capitol building, attempting to disrupt proceedings that day that would confirm his election loss to former President Joe Biden in November 2020.
The film splices together separate statements from Trump’s speech that were spoken several minutes apart, making it seem as though they were actually one sentence.
“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell,” Trump seems to have said in the edited statement.
The documentary, including the errant edit, aired on the BBC just days before U.S. Election Day in 2024.
Trump is seeking $10 billion in his lawsuit, which accuses the broadcaster of producing a “false,........