U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he intends to sue the BBC for up to $5 billion. This decision follows the British broadcaster's apology regarding a misleading edit of his speech. However, the BBC has rejected Trump's defamation claim and stated it will not pay any damages.

Trump expressed his determination to pursue legal action despite the BBC's apology. He told reporters aboard Air Force One, "We’ll sue them for anywhere between a billion and five billion dollars, probably some time next week. I think I have to do it. They’ve even admitted that they cheated." Previously, Trump had mentioned a $1 billion lawsuit, a figure that represents 13 percent of the BBC's annual revenue, which is primarily funded by a license fee from the British public.

The controversy erupted after an edited clip from the BBC's flagship news program, "Panorama," resurfaced last week. The program aired before the 2024 presidential elections and gave the impression that Trump had directly called for "violent action" before the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. In response to the backlash, Trump stated, "The people of the UK are very angry about what happened, as you can imagine, because it shows the BBC is fake news."

Trump also indicated he would discuss the issue with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has supported the BBC's independence while remaining neutral on Trump's claims. "I’m going to call him over the weekend. He actually put a call into me. He’s very embarrassed," Trump said.

On Monday, Trump's legal team sent a letter to the BBC accusing the broadcaster of defamation and demanding an apology and compensation by Friday. In a response on Thursday, BBC Chairman Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House, expressing regret over the editing of Trump's speech. However, the BBC maintained, "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."

The situation has sparked renewed debate in the UK about the operations and impartiality of public broadcasting. The BBC has faced scrutiny in recent years due to various scandals. This incident comes at a critical time for the BBC, which is preparing to renegotiate its Royal Charter, set to expire in 2027.

The fallout from the edited video has already led to the resignations of the BBC's director-general and its top news executive. Additionally, the broadcaster is investigating another edit of Trump's speech from the Capitol riots, which reportedly aired in June 2022 on the BBC's "Newsnight" program.

In an interview with UK channel GB News, Trump reiterated his commitment to legal action, stating, "This was so egregious. If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again with other people."