US PRESIDENT Donald Trump is suing the BBC for up to £7.5 billion in damages over the Panorama edit of his speech to supporters on January 6 2021.

The speech as broadcast by the BBC made it appear that Mr Trump was directly inciting the violent attack on the US Congress which began shortly after he had spoken.

Mr Trump’s lawyers argue that this “was false and defamatory” and they also said “the BBC intentionally and maliciously sought to fully mislead its viewers around the world.”

They allege there is “substantial evidence” that demonstrates the BBC and its leadership “bore President Trump ill will, wanted him to lose the 2024 presidential election, and were dishonest in their coverage of him” before the Panorama broadcast.

They cite attacks on the BBC by former Prime Minister Liz Truss in support of their contention.

The programme was broadcast in Britain a week before the 2024 presidential election. It does not appear to have affected the outcome, unsurprisingly since it was not aired in the US.

A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case.”

The case is being brought in Florida, alleging defamation and a breach of a Florida trade practices law. The BBC may argue that the court does not have jurisdiction.

The row has already forced the departure of the corporation’s director-general Tim Davie and the head of BBC News Deborah Turness. 

Trump has a history of suing news organisations in the US, often successfully as wealthy owners prefer to back down than risk a presidential threat to their interests.

The row comes as the government is looking at reforming the licence fee, the BBC’s main source of funding. 

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has published a Green Paper, setting out potential reforms of the BBC, including whether licence-fee concessions should be updated and options for generating more commercial revenues.

Phillippa Childs of Bectu, the largest union at the BBC, welcomed the review. 

“The focus on sustainable and fair funding is right, in order to future-proof the BBC, however the licence fee remains, in our view, the best way to fund the BBC,” she said. 

“Any proposed change must not undermine the BBC’s ability to deliver distinctive, original content or reduce it to just another streaming service.”