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BBC's London office. Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP
President Donald Trump told reporters he would likely sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) next week for up to US$5 billion (NZ$8.8b) over the editing of a speech he made in 2021 on the day his supporters overran the US Capitol.
Trump's lawyers had initially set a deadline of Friday (local time) for the BBC to retract its documentary or face a lawsuit for "no less" than $1 billion.
They also demanded that the BBC issue an apology and compensate Trump for what it said was "overwhelming reputational and financial harm".
The BBC, which has admitted its editing of Trump's remarks was an "error of judgment", sent a personal apology to Trump on Thursday, but said there was no legal basis for him to sue the public broadcaster.
"We'll sue them for anywhere between $1-5 billion, probably sometime next week," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, as he headed to Florida for the weekend.
"I think I have to do that, I mean, they've even admitted that they cheated. They changed the words coming out of my mouth."
Trump said he had not spoken with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the issue, but he planned to call him this weekend. He said Starmer had tried to reach him and was "very embarrassed" by the incident.
The documentary, which aired on the BBC's flagship 'Panorama' news programme, spliced together three video excerpts from Trump's speech, creating the impression he was inciting the 6 January 2021 riot.
His lawyers said this was "false and defamatory".
- Reuters
