The News Agents - USA Trump's billion dollar battle with the BBC - what's at stake
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Nov 12, 2025 
Andrew Weissmann, former FBI general counsel and deputy to Robert Mueller, joins to analyze Trump's threats to sue the BBC over allegations of defamation related to a controversial edit of his January 6 speech. They delve into the potential for a billion-dollar lawsuit and its implications for press freedom. Weissmann discusses legal strategies, including using UK defamation standards, and the challenges of proving damages. He also reflects on the chilling effect of Trump's media assaults and the broader risks to democracy when public figures sue media outlets.
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Edit Amplified Trump's Media Attack
- The BBC admitted an edit gave the impression Trump directly called for violence on January 6th.
- Hosts say this error enables Trump to both attack the press and rewrite the event's history.
Financial Risk Could Break The BBC
- A billion-pound claim could equal about a third of the BBC's budget and threaten its existence.
- Settling would signal taxpayer money paid a president and risk legitimising his election-denial narrative.
Error Fuelled Global 'Fake News' Narrative
- U.S. and global right‑wing media seized on the BBC mistake to brand it 'fake news'.
- That amplifies pressure on foreign broadcasters and may chill reporting about Trump.