US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his intention
to sue the BBC for allegedly manipulating footage of his speech, saying he
plans to seek between $1 billion and $5 billion in damages.
This follows an apology issued by the BBC on Friday
after Trump demanded a full retraction, a public apology, and compensation. The
controversy stemmed from a Panorama documentary that appeared to portray him as
inciting violence ahead of the January 6 Capitol riot.
The BBC had been given until today to respond to
Trump’s legal threat amid criticism that the programme misled viewers. In its
statement, the broadcaster admitted the edit was an “error of judgment” and
confirmed that the programme would not be aired again in its current form
on any BBC platform.
However, the corporation maintained that the mistake
did not constitute defamation, stating it “strongly disagrees that there is a
basis for a defamation claim.”
Following the BBC’s refusal to fully meet his demands,
Trump doubled down during an interview with GB News, saying he felt an
“obligation” to take legal action.
“I’m not looking to get into lawsuits, but I think I
have an obligation to do it. This was so egregious,” he told host Bev Turner.
“If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again with other people.”
Speaking to journalists outside the White House later
on Friday, Trump confirmed he would proceed with the lawsuit.
“We’ll sue them for anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably
sometime next week,” he said. “I think I have to do it.”
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