(London/New York) US President Donald Trump has demanded that the BBC completely withdraw its documentary containing controversial edits by this week, or he will file a $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC.
The BBC documentary, which aired last year during the US presidential election, misleadingly edited and spliced together clips of Trump's speeches, drawing criticism and condemnation from the White House. Two BBC executives have resigned, and Chairman Samir Shah has apologized for the incident.
Trump's lawyers sent a letter to the BBC on Monday (November 10), demanding that the BBC formally withdraw the documentary by Friday (November 14) at the latest. If the BBC refuses to comply, Trump "will have no choice but to exercise his legal rights," including "filing a lawsuit for damages of no less than $1 billion (approximately S$1.3 billion)."
The documentary, titled "Trump: A Second Chance?", has now been removed from the BBC's on-demand platform, iPlayer. The BBC confirmed receiving the letter and will respond directly at the appropriate time.
On January 6, 2021, a demonstration by Trump supporters on Capitol Hill escalated into a riot, attempting to overturn the certification of Democratic nominee Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
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In a letter, Trump's legal team argued that the BBC's editing was inflammatory and defamatory, implying that Trump incited his supporters to incite riots, and that the widespread distribution of the documentary caused Trump "enormous financial and reputational damage."
A spokesperson for the team said, "President Trump will continue to hold those who spread lies, deception, and fake news accountable."
Earlier on Monday, BBC Director Samir Shah wrote to British MPs that the BBC acknowledged that the documentary's editing of Trump's speeches "did indeed give the impression of a direct call for violence." The BBC apologized for this misjudgment and will reform its internal oversight mechanisms, but denied any systemic bias in its reporting.
