US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he intends to file a lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) imminently.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump accused the UK’s public broadcaster of deceptive editing regarding a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, the day his supporters stormed the US Capitol.
“Putting Words in My Mouth”
Trump told reporters that the lawsuit could be filed as early as Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. He claims the broadcaster manipulated footage to alter his statements.
“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 stated.
The Dispute
The controversy centers on a documentary aired by the BBC’s flagship investigative program, Panorama. The program examined Trump’s role in the events of January 6, 2021.
Trump alleges that the documentary spliced together three separate video excerpts from his speech to create a false impression that he was inciting the riot. The riot was intended to disrupt Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results.
Trump has consistently denied responsibility for the violence. He has indicated that he plans to seek billions of dollars in damages from the broadcaster.
BBC Response
The BBC has not yet responded to the specific threat of today’s lawsuit. However, the corporation previously acknowledged that the editing in question was an “error of judgement” and issued an apology to Trump.
Despite the apology, the broadcaster has maintained that there is no legal basis for the president’s claim for damages.
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