US President Donald Trump has threatened the BBC with legal action over the documentary program “Panorama”‘s alteration of the speech he gave before the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.
According to BBC News, the BBC confirmed that it had received the letter and would “respond to it in due course.”
Controversy erupted over the weekend after The Telegraph published a memo from former BBC adviser Michael Prescott suggesting that Panorama had edited a Trump speech to make it appear he had encouraged the January 6 riots. It led to the shocking resignations of BBC director-general Tim Davie and news CEO Deborah Turness on Sunday evening.
On Monday, BBC chairman Samir Shah apologized for the change in a letter to Britain’s culture, media and sport committee and called it an “error of judgment.” Speaking to the BBC’s Katie Razzall after the letter was published, Shah said he had been in contact with Trump’s team and was considering a personal apology to the president. Asked if Trump would sue the BBC, Shah said: “I don’t know yet, but he’s a litigious man, so we have to prepare for all the consequences.” »
Prescott’s memo said “Panorama” edited Trump’s speech to read: “We’re going down to the Capitol and I’ll be with you and we’re fighting. We’re fighting like hell and if you don’t fight like hell you won’t have a country anymore.” Prescott wrote that Trump delivered the part beginning with “and we’re going to fight” 54 minutes after “we’re going to go down to the Capitol and I’ll be with you.”
Trump celebrated the news of Davie and Turness’ resignations Sunday evening, calling the organization corrupt “journalists.”
“These are very dishonest people who tried to get on the scales of a presidential election,” Trump wrote. “On top of everything else, they come from a foreign country, which many consider our number one ally. What a terrible thing for democracy!”
In September, Trump filed a $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times for defamation and slander, a claim that was dismissed days later by a judge. Last month, he filed a new complaint.
