Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for at least $1.53 billion, accusing the British broadcaster of deliberately editing a speech he gave following the January 6 Capitol riots to make it appear as though he incited violence.

The move comes amid the shock resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness, sparking renewed calls for an investigation into potential bias at Australia’s ABC, which has been accused of producing similarly misleading coverage.

According to The Australian, the ABC is now under pressure to explain its own editing of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech, which the outlet claims was cut and rearranged in a way that misrepresented the former U.S. president’s words.

A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team alleged that the BBC had “defamed” the former president by “intentionally and deceitfully editing” footage that aired in October 2024, arguing the broadcast was designed to “interfere” with last year’s U.S. presidential election.

In a legal letter sent to the BBC, Trump’s lawyers demanded the broadcaster retract the “false and inflammatory” material, issue an apology, and provide compensation for the “financial and reputational harm” caused. The letter warned that if those demands were not met by the end of this week, Trump would file legal action seeking no less than $1.53 billion in damages.

The scandal has already led BBC Chairman Samir Shah to issue an apology, acknowledging the reputational damage to the institution. His letter to the U.K. Culture, Media and Sport Committee followed the publication of a leaked memo from former BBC Editorial Guidelines adviser Michael Prescott, who alleged that an October 2024 episode of Panorama had edited Trump’s speech to make it appear as though he encouraged the Capitol riots.

In Australia, The Australian reported that the ABC’s coverage of the same speech also spliced together two separate sections of Trump’s remarks—uttered nearly an hour apart—in a way a BBC internal review has already described as “completely misleading.”

Critics claim that the ABC’s Four Corners program made similar edits under the leadership of Sarah Ferguson, who has previously drawn criticism for commentary suggesting Trump’s 2016 election victory was linked to Russian interference—a claim later dismissed by U.S. Special Counsel investigations.

Sky News presenter Chris Kenny highlighted that Four Corners omitted key context from Trump’s speech, including the line urging supporters to “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”

The ABC has struggled with declining public confidence in its accuracy and impartiality, according to its most recent annual report, following a series of editorial controversies in recent years.

With the BBC now under legal and political pressure, questions are being raised about whether Australia’s national broadcaster could face its own investigation into editorial bias and accountability.