Donald Trump has put the BBC ‘on notice’ that he plans to sue them for $1billion (£760million) after they doctored his speech and broadcast it on Panorama, it has been revealed today.
In a letter sent to the corporation, President Trump has set a deadline of 5pm EST (10pm in the UK) this Friday to ‘comply’ with his demands.
The letter sent to Broadcasting House by his legal team says: ‘President Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollars) in damages’.
It adds: ‘The BBC is on notice.’
Mr Trump has fired off a legal letter after it emerged Panorama had selectively edited his speech before the January 6 Capitol riot to remove a section where he told supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team told NBC: ‘The BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally and deceitfully editing its documentary in order to try and interfere in the Presidential Election. President Trump will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in lies, deception, and fake news’.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘We will review the letter and respond directly in due course.’
It came as BBC chairman Samir Shah made a humbling apology to Mr Trump and admitted he was willing to say sorry in person.
‘He’s a litigious fellow. So we should be prepared for all outcomes’, he said when asked if he knew whether the President will sue.
Donald Trump last night condemned the ‘corrupt’ BBC as he tore into director-general Tim Davie and the Beeb. He has threatened to sue for $1billion
Director general Tim Davie quit the BBC last night after five years in the corporation’s top job
Deborah Turness (pictured centre today), chief executive of BBC News, hit back at Donald Trump as she arrived at Broadcasting House this morning
The revelation comes shortly after Mr Shah used his first remarks since the resignations of director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness to mount a defence of the corporation.
Mr Shah accused Michael Prescott, who wrote a critical memo that ultimately prompted the resignations, of offering a ‘personal account’ which gives only a ‘partial’ view of events.
In a 1,600-word letter to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS), Mr Shah admitted there were ‘occasions when the BBC gets things wrong’ but claimed the leaked report did not present the full picture.
‘Michael Prescott’s memo gives only a partial description of the evidence that editorial guidelines and standards committee received and considered,’ he said.
He insisted there were no issues the BBC had sought to ‘bury’, adding: ‘That interpretation is simply not true. The issues raised by Mr Prescott are precisely the issues that have been considered by the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee [EGSC] and the board.’
Mr Shah said Mr Prescott had relied on evidence compiled by the editorial guidelines and standards committee (EGSC), to produce the dossier.
‘There is another view that has gained currency in the coverage that the BBC has done nothing to tackle these problems. That is also simply not true,’ he said.
‘Over the three years Mr Prescott was an adviser to the EGSC, the BBC has: published corrections where we have got things wrong; changed editorial guidance to make the BBC’s position on issues clearer; made changes to leadership where the problems point to underlying issues; and carried out formal disciplinary measures.’
In a furious social media post last night, Mr Trump condemned the BBC as ‘corrupt’ and described its staff as ‘very dishonest’.
Today, Mr Shah said the corporation has received communication from Mr Trump, adding: ‘We are now considering how to reply to him.’ But he failed to apologise personally to the president.
It comes amid an ongoing civil war at the BBC, with insiders saying that some senior BBC News staff are at war with the board. Nick Robinson used the Today Programme to give a monologue where he described the board as being in a state of ‘paralysis’.
Sir Keir Starmer also backed the BBC. His spokesman said the Prime Minister does not believe it is ‘institutionally biased’.
But Nigel Farage has said he has spoken to Donald Trump, who is ‘absolutely enraged’, with the Reform UK leader accusing the ‘biased’ BBC of ‘election interference‘.
Director General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness resigned yesterday after it emerged Panorama made it seem like Trump told his supporters to go to the Capitol and ‘fight like hell’ on the day of the 2021 riot.
In a letter released this afternoon, Mr Shah revealed there have been more than 500 complaints since the publication of an internal memo that raised concerns about the editing of the speech by Donald Trump, adding: ‘We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.’
In an interview with the BBC he added that he didn’t know ‘yet’ if Trump will now sue the BBC, adding he is now considering whether to apologise personally to the President.
He added: ‘I did not want to lose Tim Davie nor did any member of the board. We were upset by the decision. My job now is to ensure a smooth transition’.
Hours earlier Nick Robinson launched into an extraordinary monologue on the Today programme that appeared to play down the impartiality scandal. He also hinted politics were at play at the top of the corporation.
But one household name at the BBC told the Daily Mail today that they are amazed that Mr Davie and Ms Turness were not fired long ago given the number of scandals on their watch.
‘They have both been asleep at the wheel’, the Daily Mail’s source, a well-known TV star who asked to remain anonymous, has said.
‘Davie and Turness have failed to get a grip’, they added.
They pointed to the ‘woke‘ direction the BBC has taken in recent years including claims it has been ‘captured by a minority ideology’, especially on its ‘one-sided’ reporting of transgender issues and Gaza.
The Daily Mail’s source said of Ms Turness’s failure to quit until yesterday: ‘She was the head of news!‘
The insider has said that Davie and Turness had consistently ‘failed’ to deal with the issue of impartiality at the BBC, most notably the Gaza documentary featuring the son of a Hamas official.
There was also the Huw Edwards scandal, impartial tweets from Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, the broadcast of Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury where he chanted ‘death to the IDF’ and now Panorama’s botched editing of a Trump speech.
Only last week there were claims that the corporation has been ‘captured by trans ideologists’ and bosses were castigated for the ‘absolutely mad’ treatment of Martine Croxall who was rebuked when she corrected ‘pregnant people’ to ‘women’ in a script live on air.
Former Radio 4 boss Mark Damazer has insisted that Davie was an ‘outstanding Director General’ and believes it is ‘absolutely wrong’ to say the BBC is ‘systemically biased’.
But Mr Trump is said to be ‘absolutely enraged’ by the Panorama scandal and told his friend Nigel Farage: ‘I thought this was a state broadcaster.’
Mr Farage said of the President: ‘To say that he was angry would be an understatement’, adding: ‘What the BBC did was election interference.’
Mr Farage added: ‘It’s just the latest of a long list of political biases that we see running throughout the BBC.
‘I’ve watched it for decades, whether it was their coverage of the European Union, their coverage of immigration, their coverage of climate change, their swallowing – hook, line and sinker – Hamas propaganda coming out of Gaza, and the woke agenda runs through not just news, but every cultural programme as well.
‘And so you have to conclude that the BBC has been not just run, but staffed by the wrong people for way, way too long.’
Mr Robinson gave a monologue on the Today Programme on Radio 4 today following the fallout
Mr Trump last night condemned the BBC as ‘corrupt’ as he tore into Mr Davie after he resigned in disgrace over a doctored video.
When asked about President Trump’s comments an emotional Ms Turness said: ‘Of course our journalists aren’t corrupt. Our journalists are hardworking people who strive for impartiality and I will stand by their journalism.’
Explaining why she had quit she went on: ‘I would like to say it has been the privilege of my career to serve as the CEO of BBC News and to work with our brilliant team of journalists.
‘I stepped down over the weekend because the buck stops with me. But I’d like to make one thing very clear, BBC News is not institutionally biased. That’s why it’s the world’s most trusted news provider.’
Hours earlier Nick Robinson said Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Ms Turness had still not explained ‘what they had actually got wrong’ when they resigned yesterday over the editing of a Donald Trump speech by Panorama.
Mr Robinson said that there were ‘no complaints about the editing of Donald Trump’s speech’ when it was broadcast in 2024.
He also said that some listeners were tired of hearing ‘the BBC talking about itself’ adding that there is ‘plenty of other news’ in the world.
Mr Robinson had launched into a monologue on the scandal just after the 6.30am news bulletin today, where he said the BBC’s board is in a state of ‘paralysis’ and appeared to suggest conspiracy and politics at the top of the corporation were at play.
And in what some listeners suggested was him playing down the impartiality row he said: ‘I understand that at the time of the transmission of the Panorama film in 2024, there were no complaints about the editing of Donald Trump’s speech.’
He added: ‘In her resignation statement Deborah Turness said the ongoing controversy has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC. Neither she nor Tim Davie explained what they had actually got wrong.’
After a 15 minute section on the scandal, where he discussed what will happen next with two BBC reporters, Mr Robinson finished by saying: ‘As we know patience can wear thin about the BBC talking about itself, there is plenty other news. We will be talking about the NHS, about homelessness and let’s talk about other news from Belgium, important news.’
Mr Trump had also shared a Daily Mail column from Boris Johnson, where the former Prime Minister vowed to withhold his licence fee unless Mr Davie broke his silence on the incident or resigned, which he later did.
The Mail on Sunday further revealed how two of the BBC’s leading presenters claimed that airing concerns about its coverage was part of a political campaign to ‘destroy’ the corporation.
Nick Robinson’s remarks – endorsed by veteran reporter John Simpson – were swiftly condemned as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘arrogant’ by Mr Johnson.
And today Mr Robinson spoke out again, this time on the BBC’s flagship radio news programme in a monologue lasting several minutes.
He said: ‘Ever since rumours of the resignation surfaced, I have been piecing together what happened that led to this crisis.
‘Those at the top of the BBC have appeared paralysed last week, unable to agree what to say – not just about the editing of that speech, but wider claims of institutional bias.
‘One source described the arguments ever since Telegraph leaked a memo by a former advisor to the BBC Board as ‘like armed combat’, another alleged ‘political interference’ after what they described as a ‘hostile takeover’ of parts of the BBC.’
The presenter said a statement which was being prepared by BBC News executives, the journalists who run the news division, last week was set to apologise for the mistake.
He said they had agreed a statement saying it had ‘been a mistake to edit together two different sections of President Trump’s speech on the day of the Capitol Hill riots, without clearly signalling to the audience that edit had been made’.
It would have said ‘despite this error, there was no intention to mislead the audience’ Robinson added.
Director general Mr Davie and Ms Turness, chief executive of BBC News, sensationally stepped down amid an impartiality row after an internal report accused it of institutional bias and censorship.
The row began over an edition of the flagship current affairs programme Panorama in which two clips of Donald Trump’s speech were spliced together, despite having been said an hour apart.
In a section of Trump: A Second Chance? which focused on the Capitol Hill riots on January 6, Trump was shown telling his supporters that he was going to walk to the Capitol with them to ‘fight like hell’ when in fact what he said was that he would walk with them ‘to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard’.
Concerns about the documentary were raised by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee.
Last night President Trump branded the broadcaster a ‘terrible thing for democracy’ and said its ‘corrupt journalists’ had been exposed.
In a monologue this morning Mr Robinson, one of the BBC’s highest earners, said these are ‘not normal times’ at the broadcaster as he detailed the scenes from inside this week.
It was a leaked report by Michael Prescott, a former adviser to the corporation’s editorial watchdog, which eventually brought down the director-general.
In a 19-page document, he accused the corporation of doctoring a speech by Mr Trump and censoring the debate on transgender issues, and said its Gaza coverage had been biased.
Robinson added: ‘The argument which raged on the BBC board ensured neither defended itself nor admitted its mistakes for day after long day after the leaking of the Prescott dossier alleging institutional bias.
‘As criticism mounted from the White House, from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and many others, the BBC merely said that it would not comment on leaked documents, whilst promising the chairman Samir Shah would respond in writing to MPs on the culture, media and sport select committee.’
Mr Robinson then singled out board member Sir Robbie Gibb over his views that the BBC did have a problem of institutional bias.
He added: ‘A majority of the BBC board appear to agree with their editorial advisor, that there is a problem of institutional bias reflected in that coverage, not just of Donald Trump but of Gaza and Israel and also trans rights.
‘Friends of Sir Robbie insist he has repeatedly and consistently supported Tim Davie as director general and wanted him to stay.’
Director general Tim Davie quit the BBC last night after five years in the corporation’s top job
In a final thought to listeners, Robinson said ‘at the time of the transmission of the Panorama film back in 2024, there were no complaints about the editing of Donald Trump’s speech’.
Mr Davie’s resignation brings an end to a 20-year career at the BBC which saw him rise from director of marketing, communications and audiences.
Since he took the top job in 2020, the corporation has faced many crises, including the prosecution of newsreader Huw Edwards over possession of indecent images of children, the axing of MasterChef presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode, and the airing of a performance of Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, when its lead singer chanted ‘Death to the IDF’.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday night, US President Donald Trump wrote: ‘The TOP people in the BBC, including TIM DAVIE, the BOSS, are all quitting/FIRED, because they were caught ‘doctoring’ my very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th.
‘These are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election. On top of everything else, they are from a Foreign Country, one that many consider our Number One Ally. What a terrible thing for Democracy!’
He also shared a Daily Mail column from Boris Johnson, where the former Prime Minister vowed to withhold his licence fee unless Mr Davie broke his silence on the incident or resigned.
Mr Davie said he wanted to hand over to a new director-general ahead of Royal Charter renewal negotiations with the Government, which will decide the broadcaster’s future funding model.
In a note to staff on Sunday, he said: ‘Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable. While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision.
‘Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director-general I have to take ultimate responsibility.’
BBC chairman Mr Shah said: ‘This is a sad day for the BBC. Tim has been an outstanding director-general for the last five years. He has had the full support of me and the board throughout. However, I understand the continued pressure on him, personally and professionally, which has led him to take this decision. The whole board respects the decision and the reasons for it.’
Ms Turness, who was poached from ITN by Mr Davie three years ago, told staff: ‘The ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC – an institution that I love. In public life, leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down.
‘While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.’
The BBC has been criticised for a number of failings in recent months which include breaching its own accuracy editorial guidelines, livestreaming the controversial Bob Vylan Glastonbury set, as well as misconduct allegations surrounding former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.
Leading politicians have said the BBC must change to rebuild its reputation.
The US President shared a Daily Mail column from Boris Johnson, where the former Prime Minister vowed to withhold his licence fee
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the corporation needs ‘to turn a new leaf’ while Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called for ‘top-to-bottom’ reform.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said it was the BBC’s ‘last chance’, adding: ‘I don’t want to abolish the BBC, I make that very clear, but we cannot have the BBC being seen to be our main national news broadcaster if it cannot perform in a straightforward, simple, unbiased way.’
Government minister Louise Sandher-Jones rejected suggestions the BBC was institutionally biased.
The veterans minister told Sky News: ‘When you look at the huge range of domestic issues, local issues, international issues, that it has to cover, I think its output is very trusted.
‘When I speak to people who’ve got very strongly held views on those, they’re still using the BBC for a lot of their information, it’s forming their views on this.
‘I think we can all point to elements of BBC broadcasting of news and say ‘well, that reflects my views, and that doesn’t’ and that’s absolutely right, that we should be able to say that.’
Asked about Donald Trump’s comments on the BBC, she said: ‘President Trump will obviously speak for himself.
‘Tim Davie and Deborah Turness have been quite clear that it’s their decision that they’ve stepped down and I note that the board has thanked them for their service and had said that it had supported them.
‘But they’ve, as they’ve said, taken accountability for what the BBC has put out. I think it is very important that public figures have accountability.’
The BBC’s board has not properly defended the corporation, a former Downing Street communications chief has suggested.
Sir Craig Oliver, who is also a former BBC news executive, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the problems at the corporation ‘matter’, adding ‘the BBC is an enormous institution with a huge impact on British life’.
‘What I think has gone wrong here, I think is really an issue of the governance of the institution,’ Sir Craig said.
‘We’re living in a fast-moving digital world where there are a lot of people who want to attack the BBC, and what we’ve seen is really a vacuum that has been created.
‘It’s been obvious for days now that the BBC needed to step up, explain, apologise, move on.
‘And what we’ve seen is the governance of the BBC saying, ‘we’ll get back to you on Monday – we’ll leave that for days. We’ll allow the President of the United States to be attacking the institution, and we’re not going to properly defend it’.’
