Why does Donald Trump want to sue the BBC for ‘$1bn’?
This Is Why
Sky News
4.0 • 552 Ratings
🗓️ 10 November 2025
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The row over how President Trump was portrayed in a Panorama programme has proved to be a scandal too far for embattled BBC bosses.
Director-general Tim Davie and BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness have both resigned.
Mr Trump's lawyers are demanding the BBC retracts the "false" statements in the documentary or face legal action for $1bn (£760m) in damages.
Many will feel their departures were inevitable after questions over the way a Trump speech was edited sparked concerns about the corporation's impartiality.
Niall is joined by former Panorama editor and host of the Beeb Watch podcast Roger Bolton to discuss the fallout.
Producer: Tom Gillespie
Editor: Mike Bovill
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Coming up, it's Director General and CEO of News resign as the BBC apologises for an unfairly edited report on Donald Trump. |
| 0:08.9 | Just how many more mistakes can the BBC make? |
| 0:12.1 | Before history was written, his name was carved in stone. |
| 0:17.5 | Now witness the legacy of Ramesses the Great. 180 priceless treasures direct from the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, in the UK for the first and only time. Ramesses and the Pharaoh's Gold, the exhibition at Battersea Power Station. Book now at ramesses the exhibition dot co dot uk |
| 0:42.3 | a safe trip begins with t r i p take a road trip with your family get there safely do your trip checks |
| 0:50.3 | tap up on island fuel, rest every two hours to |
| 0:55.3 | I inspect your pressure and tread |
| 0:57.9 | P, preparing for the weather ahead |
| 1:00.5 | A safe trip begins with TRIP |
| 1:03.5 | A safe trip begins with TRIP |
| 1:07.5 | Think, do the four trip checks |
| 1:09.2 | Before every long journey, |
| 1:12.0 | National Highways. |
| 1:20.5 | When Tim Davy took over as BBC Director-General, he promised to put Auntie's House in order. |
| 1:26.2 | There's three things that we've worked on with the public a little bit, |
| 1:29.0 | on terms of what do they really want to see preserved? |
| 1:32.5 | And it's not just about the BBC. I think it's public service broadcasters. It can be commercial players like Sky. But for the BBC specifically, I think it's this idea of finding out |
| 1:39.3 | the truth, pursuing truth with no agenda. So political impartiality is critical. So I did that work out for you, Tim, |
| 1:47.2 | because I've got a little list. Since he became DG, we have seen allegations of bullying and |
| 1:53.0 | inappropriate behaviour at Strictly Come Dancing, a Gaza documentary narrated by the son of a Hamas |
| 1:58.5 | official, Gary Linnaker, time and again engaging in political |
| 2:02.2 | commentary whilst working for the BBC. And how's about the BBC Glastonbury broadcast of |
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