President Donald Trump isn't letting the BBC off easy. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday evening, Trump said he expects to sue the British broadcaster for somewhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably by next week.
Why Trump Says He's Suing
"I think I have to do that, I mean, they've even admitted that they cheated," Trump told reporters. He's referring to edits made in the Panorama documentary "Trump: A Second Chance?" that his legal team claims caused "overwhelming reputational and financial harm."
The BBC did send Trump a personal apology on Thursday and acknowledged making an "error of judgment." But here's the thing: they're standing firm that the edits don't actually cross the line into defamation territory, at least not legally speaking.
BBC's Internal Crisis Deepens
This lawsuit threat couldn't come at a worse time for the BBC. The organization is dealing with serious internal fallout after a leaked memo accused Panorama journalists of "misleading editing" and raised broader questions about bias in coverage of transgender issues and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The situation got messy enough that Director-General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness both resigned. They admitted mistakes happened but defended their newsroom's overall integrity.
Latest Chapter in Trump's Media Wars
If you've been following Trump's relationship with the press, this probably doesn't surprise you. His administration has been locked in ongoing disputes with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and ABC News. His team has also pushed for federal funding cuts to NPR and PBS, and revoked credentials for certain White House reporters.
Trump added that he hasn't yet spoken with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the situation but plans to call him. According to Trump, Starmer is "very embarrassed" by the whole incident.