David Vance SubstackRead More
Let’s be clear – if the BBC actually had to actually pay the full $5bn damages to President Trump it might well go bankrupt and close down.
I would be happy with that result although I doubt it would happen!
But we can always dream!
We do know that President Trump has filed a $5bn (£3.7bn) lawsuit against the BBC in Florida, accusing it of defamation and unfair trade practices over an edited clip of his 6 January 2021 speech used in a Panorama documentary aired before the 2024 US election.
The disputed edit joined his line, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you,” directly to the later phrase, “And we fight. We fight like hell,” which originally came more than 50 minutes later in the speech.
Trump’s lawyers claim the BBC “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively” doctored the footage to make it appear he directly called for violent action at the Capitol.
I don’t think there is any doubt that the footage WAS doctored and even the BBC has acknowledged that the edit created “the mistaken impression” of a direct call to violence and issued an apology! However it has also rejected Trump’s demand for compensation and insists there is no basis for a defamation claim. A spokesperson said the corporation will defend the case and declined further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
The question for the BBC to consider is the COST of defending this action! The case is filed in Florida, involves a sitting US president, a major public broadcaster, and raises complex issues of US defamation law, jurisdiction, distribution rights, and damages, so it is likely to be lengthy and expensive if it proceeds to full trial. That is a real pressure on the BBC!
You will remember how this issue triggered internal fallout at the BBC, including a leaked memo criticising the editing process and the subsequent resignations of director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness. That was positive. Curiously, nobody involved in the Panorama program lost
Before the lawsuit was filed, BBC lawyers argued there was no malice, that Trump suffered no harm because he was re‑elected shortly after the broadcast, and that the corporation did not show the Panorama episode on its US channels, with BBC iPlayer access limited to UK users.
Trump’s suit counters that the documentary likely reached viewers in Florida through third‑party distribution deals, BritBox, and VPN use, citing a specific licensing agreement with another media company and increased VPN usage.
Here in the UK, an unholy chorus of left wing politicians chirp that the BBC was right to “stand firm,” while politicians like Nigel Huddleston and Sir Ed Davey urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to warn Trump that suing the BBC is unacceptable and potentially damaging for licence fee payers!! Hahaha – are they mad? (Answer, yes, probably)
Let’s hope that Trump damages the BBC as much as is possible. It deserves all he gives them.
