US president Trump insists on suing BBC between $1 billion and $5 billion for editing his speech

US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed that he still intends to sue the BBC for a sum between $1 billion and $5 billion over claims that the broadcaster edited his speech.

This comes after the BBC issued an apology on Friday, following Trump’s demand for a full retraction, an immediate apology, and compensation over a Panorama documentary that appeared to show him encouraging violence ahead of the January 6 Capitol riot.

The broadcaster had been given until today to respond to the President’s $1 billion legal threat amid criticism that the programme misled viewers.

In its statement on Friday, the BBC described the edit as an “error of judgment” and said the programme “will not be broadcast again in this form on any BBC platforms.”

But it added that ‘while the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree that there is a basis for a defamation claim’.

After the BBC refused the total capitulation demanded by the US President, Trump told GB News that he had an ‘obligation’ to take legal action in a fiery interview.

‘I’m not looking to get into lawsuits, but I think I have an obligation to do it. This was so egregious’, he told GB News’ Bev Turner.

‘If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again with other people’.

Trump also confirmed to journalists outside the White House on Friday that he planned to formally seek damages, saying: ‘We’ll sue them from anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week.

‘I think I have to do it,’ he added.