Donald Trump vows to sue BBC for 'up to $5 billion' after failing to meet all his demands following 'misleading' speech edit
Donald Trump issued out three demands that had to be met by the BBC or he would consider ‘all legal rights and remedies’ at his disposal.
Donald Trump gave the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) until November 14 to resolve an issue that has got them in hot water right now.
Trump initially issued the threat of legal action after it was revealed that the BBC had edited a speech he made before the US capitol riots of January 6, 2021.
Critics have argued that the edited version was ‘misleading’ where as Trump’s legal counsel Alejandro Brito went as far to say it was ‘'false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory.’
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A week before last year’s presidential election, the documentary Trump: A Second Chance? appeared to show Trump encouraging an attack on the capital using spliced-up clips.
In the aired clip: Trump said: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol... and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell,"
But what the Republican president said, in full, was: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women."
A letter was sent to the BBC by Brito and it made three clear Trump’s demands:
• Issue a 'full and fair retraction' of Trump: A Second Chance?
• Apologize immediately
• 'Appropriately compensate' Trump
According to a VT report, despite receiving a personal apology for the documentary, Trump told reporters he would be moving forward with legal action.
On Friday (November 14), Trump spoke on Air Force One about the matter.
He said he would be filing a lawsuit ‘for anywhere between a billion and $5bn’ as early as next week. He added to reporters that ‘we have to do it’.
About the backlash and potential for legal action, a BBC spokesperson said: “While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim.”
Speaking in an interview with GB News, Trump said: “I made a beautiful statement, and they made it into a not beautiful statement.
“Fake news was a great term, except it’s not strong enough. This is beyond fake, this is corrupt.
“I think I have an obligation to do [the lawsuit]...This was so egregious. If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again with other people.”
UNILAD has contacted the BBC for comment.
Topics: News, US News, Donald Trump, BBC
Gerrard Kaonga