LONDON/NEW YORK CITY: U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC over its editing of a 2021 speech he gave on the day his supporters stormed the Capitol — an edit the broadcaster admitted on November 10 was an "error of judgment."

In a letter dated November 9 and seen by Reuters, Trump's lawyers demanded that the BBC retract its Panorama documentary by November 14 or face a lawsuit seeking at least US$1 billion in damages. The letter also called for a public apology and compensation for what it described as "severe reputational and financial harm."

The documentary allegedly spliced together parts of Trump's speech to make it seem like he was inciting the January 6 riot. His legal team said the BBC omitted sections in which Trump urged supporters to march "peacefully and patriotically."

The controversy has triggered a crisis within the BBC, leading to the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and News Chief Executive Deborah Turness. BBC Chair Samir Shah apologized for the editing but denied claims of institutional bias. He said the BBC would "respond directly in due course" to Trump's legal threat.

The issue surfaced after an internal report criticizing the BBC's coverage — including the edited speech — was leaked shortly before the November 2024 U.S. presidential election. Trump's legal team said the edit was a deliberate attempt to influence the vote.

The BBC has since removed the documentary from its iPlayer service. In a letter to lawmakers, Shah acknowledged that the edit gave the false impression of a call to violence and called it an "error of judgment."

Trump's lawyers argued that the BBC violated Florida defamation law by selectively editing and omitting facts to misrepresent his remarks. Legal experts note that public figures like Trump face high hurdles in defamation cases under U.S. law, as they must prove the broadcaster knowingly spread false information.

Several American networks, including CBS and ABC News, have recently settled similar defamation claims brought by Trump.

Shah told lawmakers that while individual errors had occurred, there was no evidence of systemic bias within the BBC. "BBC News' culture is to be impartial and trustworthy," he said.

The BBC, funded by the public and operating under a Royal Charter, remains editorially independent but is accountable to Parliament. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government continues to support the corporation and does not believe it is institutionally biased.