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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Annabel Bate

BBC right to take Trump legal threat ‘seriously’ says media lawyer

Donald Trump United States Panorama

The BBC is right in taking Donald Trump’s threat to sue “seriously,” a media lawyer has warned.

The US president has threatened to seek $1 billion from the corporation over a Panorama documentary episode he claims “defamed” him by selectively editing his 6 January 2021 speech.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent, media lawyer Rupert Cowper-Coles explained the BBC is right to take the lawsuit "seriously,” adding that it would be concerning if British media organisations were ever subjected to a damages award anywhere “close to” the figure presented by Trump’s legal team.

However, the US president may face difficulties in suing the corporation over “defamatory” statements on Panorama, partly because the documentary may not have been aired in the United States.

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