Karoline Leavitt says Trump thinks the BBC is a leftist, propaganda machine [G5CFUGPm87S]
President Donald Trump has now threatened to sue the BBC for at least $1 billion, accusing the broadcaster of defamation and of deceptively editing a Jan. 6 speech to portray him as inciting violence. The BBC documentary aired just before the 2024 U.S. presidential election has sparked a major controversy, leading to the resignations of the broadcaster's top executives. The documentary, part of the "Panorama" series, included an edited version of former President Donald Trump's January 6, 2021, speech. Critics argue that the edit misleadingly combined separate passages to suggest Trump was inciting violence, omitting his call for peaceful protest. The backlash was swift and severe. BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness resigned amid the growing criticism. BBC Chair Samir Shah issued a formal apology, acknowledging an "error of judgment" in the edit but denied claims of systemic institutional bias within the BBC. The controversy intensified when Trump threatened legal action against the BBC, seeking at least $1 billion in damages for defamation and manipulation of his remarks. According to NBC News and Fox News Digital, a letter was sent from Trump’s legal team that gave the BBC a deadline of 5 p.m. EST this coming Friday, Nov. 14, to “retract” any “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” about him. National outlets are reporting that a failure to comply will, according to Trump’s team, means the president will be “left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollars) in damages. The BBC is on notice.” The situation further escalated with the leak of an internal memo by adviser Michael Prescott, which criticized the BBC's broader coverage of issues such as Israel-Gaza, transgender rights, and U.S. politics. This memo added to the leadership crisis at the broadcaster, according to Fox News Digital. Read: _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: WWMT on Facebook: WWMT on Twitter: Subscribe to WWMT on YouTube: WWMT Daily News Digest: For more information, visit Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 800.875.3333 WWMT is a MI based station and a CBS Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #WWMT #NEWSCHANNEL3 #Kalamazoo #Michigan #BBC #Lawsuit #KarolineLeavitt #DonaldTrump #PM #GB #BBCLawsuit #Defamation #Presser