EXCLUSIVE: The One Reason Donald Trump is Set for 'Total Defeat' in His $5Billion 'Defamation' Case Over Capitol Riot Speech Edit
Donald Trump is still suing networks.
Nov. 18 2025, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Donald Trump is heading for what insiders tell RadarOnline.com is a near-certain courtroom collapse after legal advisers concluded the controversial Panorama edit at the heart of his $5billion defamation threat against the BBC could not be viewed in the United States – fatally undermining any claim that his reputation was damaged.
The president's clash with the broadcaster erupted after the BBC broadcast a doctored segment of Trump's 6 January 2021 speech in a Panorama program aired before the 2024 election.
The Fatal Jurisdictional Flaw
Insiders think Trump's lawsuit will collapse after advisers reviewed the 'Panorama' edit.
The edit appeared to show him urging supporters toward violent action ahead of the Capitol riot.
BBC bosses have apologized, saying the splice created a "mistaken impression," but Trump – serving his second term as president when the show was aired – has now vowed to sue the BBC for between $1billion and $5billion.
Crucially, however, BBC lawyers reportedly advised that because the Panorama episode was not available in the US, it could not have caused reputational harm, leaving Trump's case on what one senior source described as "non-existent legal foundations."
BBC's Resolute Defense
BBC bosses apologized and admitted the edit created a mistaken impression.
BBC chairman Samir Shah has emerged as the central figure in the backlash. In a note to staff, he said, "I want to be very clear with you – our position has not changed. There is no basis for a defamation case, and we are determined to fight this."
He added he had spoken to his senior team and was "reassured of their resolute focus on ensuring the BBC continues to deliver on behalf of audiences and staff."
Shah added: "There is a lot being written, said, and speculated upon about the possibility of legal action, including potential costs or settlements."
He said the BBC's leadership was "acutely aware of the privilege of our funding and the need to protect our license fee payers," before restating, "There is no basis for a defamation case and we are determined to fight this."
Air Force One Threats
The scandal forced Tim Davie and Deborah Turness to resign.
Trump renewed his threats against the BBC while speaking to a group of reporters aboard Air Force One, where he told them the U.K. prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was "very embarrassed" over the controversy and had attempted to call him over the unfolding row.
The broadcaster's stance against Trump hardened after lawyers for the U.S. president demanded a retraction and financial damages.
While the BBC apologized for what it called an "error of judgment" in editing the clip, it rejected the idea of handing Trump compensation.
A spokesperson said the corporation had "had no further contact from President Trump's lawyers at this point" and that "our position remains the same."
The Panorama Scandal Fallout
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Analysts argue the missing US broadcast destroyed Trump's legal path.
White House involvement only intensified the spectacle. Trump insisted he had an "obligation" to sue, declaring, "This was so egregious. If you don't do it, you don't stop it from happening again with other people."
The fallout has already reshaped the BBC's top ranks. Its Panorama scandal prompted the resignations of the corporation's director general, Tim Davie, and its news chief, Deborah Turness, after the program Trump: A Second Chance? was found to have combined two separate Trump lines – "We're going to walk down to the Capitol… and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell" – in a way that altered the original meaning.
The corporation has pulled the episode permanently and published a retraction on its website. But the broadcaster's most potent defense – and the one analysts say leaves Trump with almost no path to victory – remains simple: the offending edit never aired in America.
