Trump Threatens $1b Lawsuit Against BBC Over 'Defamatory' Coverage

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 11: Former BBC Director General Tim Davie arrives at Broadcasting House on November 11, 2025 in London, England. US President Donald Trump has threatened a $1b law suit against the British broadcaster, alleging a BBC Panorama episode made "false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading, and inflammatory statements about President Trump." Trump's accusations followed the Telegraph's publication of a memo by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser on editorial standards at the BBC, which raised concerns over the selective edit of a January 6, 2021 speech made by Trump to supporters that aired in a BBC Panorama episode ahead of the 2024 US election. A letter from Trump's lawyers outlines demands to the BBC to retract the documentary, issue an apology, and compensate Trump for "the harm cased" by November 15, or else face legal action. On Sunday, BBC Director General Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, head of BBC News, resigned over Prescott's accusations of "systemic" bias in the outlet's news coverage on Trump, the Israel-Gaza conflict, and transgender issues. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)