Donald Trump has made three specific demands to the BBC, threatening legal action if they are not met.
Trump has given the British Broadcasting Corporation until November 14 to address an issue that has placed the organization under scrutiny.
The former president threatened legal proceedings after it came to light that the BBC had edited a speech he delivered prior to the US Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.
Critics have labeled the edited version as ‘misleading,’ while Trump’s legal representative, Alejandro Brito, described it as ‘false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory.’
Just before the presidential election last year, the documentary Trump: A Second Chance? aired, seemingly portraying Trump as inciting an attack on the Capitol by piecing together selective clips.
In the broadcast clip, Trump is heard saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
However, the full statement by the Republican president was: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
A letter from Brito to the BBC laid out three specific demands:
• Provide a ‘full and fair retraction’ of Trump: A Second Chance?
• Offer an immediate apology
• ‘Appropriately compensate’ Trump
As reported by a VT article, despite receiving a personal apology for the documentary, Trump indicated to reporters that he intends to proceed with legal action.
On Friday (November 14), Trump discussed the issue aboard Air Force One.
He mentioned his intention to file a lawsuit for an amount ‘between a billion and $5 billion’ as soon as the following week, adding that ‘we have to do it.’
In response to the backlash and potential legal action, a BBC spokesperson stated: “While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim.”
In a conversation with GB News, Trump remarked: “I made a beautiful statement, and they made it into a not beautiful statement.
“Fake news was a great term, except it’s not strong enough. This is beyond fake, this is corrupt.
“I think I have an obligation to do [the lawsuit]…This was so egregious. If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again with other people.”
The BBC has been contacted for comment.