President Donald Trump said he expects to file a lawsuit against the BBC within days, accusing the broadcaster of inserting words into edited footage of his January 6, 2021 speech. He said the potential suit could seek billions in damages over a Panorama documentary that combined excerpts of his remarks. The BBC has apologized for the editing as an "error of judgement," said it has not been contacted by Trump’s lawyers, and maintains it sees no legal basis for the claim.
Trump Signals He Will Soon Sue BBC Over Edited January 6 Speech
FILE PHOTO: Members of security work outside BBC Broadcasting House, as U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would likely sue the BBC for as much as $5 billion USD after the British broadcaster admitted it wrongly edited a video of a speech he gave, in London, Britain, November 16, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
WASHINGTON, Dec 15 — President Donald Trump said on Monday he expects to file a lawsuit shortly against Britain’s public broadcaster, the BBC, alleging it doctored footage of a 2021 speech he gave on the day his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump accused the broadcaster of inserting words into his remarks and said legal papers could be filed within a day. He indicated the suit could seek billions of dollars in damages related to a BBC Panorama documentary that used edited excerpts of his January 6 remarks.
"In a little while, you'll be seeing I'm suing the BBC for putting words in my mouth. Literally, they put words in my mouth. They had me saying things that I never said coming out," Trump told reporters.
The BBC’s Panorama programme spliced together three short clips from Trump’s speech; critics say the sequencing created the impression he was inciting the riot that disrupted Congress as it moved to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump has repeatedly denied responsibility for the January 6 attack.
A BBC spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement that the corporation had not yet been contacted by Trump’s lawyers. The BBC has acknowledged the editing decision as an "error of judgement," apologized to Trump and maintained it believes there is no legal basis for his claim.
Reporting for this story was contributed by Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw and Muvija M; edited by Nia Williams and Jamie Freed.
