Donald Trump has given the British Broadcasting Corporation an ultimatum: retract a documentary and apologize by Friday, November 14, 2025, or face a $1 billion defamation lawsuit. The former U.S. President's legal team claims the BBC's "Panorama" documentary, "Trump: A Second Chance?", intentionally misrepresented his January 6, 2021, speech. They allege the program edited his remarks out of context to suggest he incited violence.^[1][2][3][4] ### Documentary Accused of Misleading Edit The dispute centers on a "Panorama" documentary that aired on October 28, 2024, ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Trump's legal counsel, led by Alejandro Brito, sent a formal notice to BBC executives on Sunday, November 9. The letter claims the documentary "fabricated" statements and presented them without proper context.^[1][2][5][6] Specifically, Trump's team alleges the BBC spliced together separate lines from his speech to imply he told supporters to "fight," while omitting his calls for peaceful protest.^[1][3][7][4] His lawyers argue this editing created a "false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory" impression.^[1][3][7][6] The White House also called the BBC's edit "misleading."^[1][2] The letter states the edited content went viral, reaching tens of millions of people worldwide.^[1][3] Trump is demanding a full retraction, a public apology, and compensation for "overwhelming financial and reputational harm."^[3][5][4][6] If the BBC does not comply by November 14 at 5 PM EST, Trump plans to file legal action seeking "no less than $1,000,000,000 in damages."^{[1][3][5][4][8][9][6]} ### BBC Apologizes, Leaders Resign The controversy has already led to significant changes within the BBC. Two senior leaders, Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness, resigned on Sunday, November 9, as the row escalated.^[1][2][7][4] BBC Chairman Samir Shah publicly apologized for the editing of Trump's speech.^[3][7][4] Shah admitted that the way the speech was edited "did give the impression of a direct call for violent action."^[7][4] He added that the BBC "would like to apologize for that error of judgment."^[7][4] A BBC spokesperson confirmed the corporation received Trump's letter and stated they would "review the letter and respond directly in due course."^{[1][2][3][4][6]} The documentary in question is no longer available on the BBC's iPlayer service.^[4] The BBC has faced over 500 complaints since a whistleblower report from former editorial standards adviser Michael Prescott brought the editing issues to light.^[2][7] ### Trump's History of Media Lawsuits Trump's legal team has indicated they would file the lawsuit under Florida defamation law, citing his residency in the state.^[4][6] A spokesperson for Trump's legal team stated, "The BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally and deceitfully editing its documentary in order to try and interfere in the Presidential Election."^[2][3][6] Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the BBC "100% fake news" and a "propaganda machine."^[7] This is not the first time Donald Trump has pursued legal action against news organizations. He has a history of suing or threatening to sue various media outlets in the United States.^{[2][10][11][12]} Trump previously settled defamation lawsuits with ABC News and CBS News.^[2][13][12] He has also engaged in legal actions against The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.^{[2][10][11][14][12]} His legal team emphasizes that Trump will continue to hold accountable those who "traffic in lies, deception, and fake news."^[2][3][7][6] The impending deadline sets the stage for a significant legal battle if the BBC does not meet Trump's demands. Observers are watching closely to see if the situation escalates to court or if a settlement is reached.^[8]

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