BBC outgoing Chief Tim Davie said that the corporation “is going to be thriving” as Trump’s $1 billion lawsuit deadline approaches.
According to Sky News, departing director-general of the BBC who will hold an all-staff call on Tuesday, November 11, predicted that the public broadcaster will thrive despite US President Donald Trump’s legal notice and backlash.
He told reporters, “I'm here to support the BBC, I'm very, very proud of our journalists in this building. The BBC is going to be thriving and I support every one of the team, I'm very proud of them.”
He further added that the work they are doing is "incredibly important."
Trump's legal team has accused the BBC of using "false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements."
Alejandro Brito, one of Trump's lawyers who is based in Florida, wrote to BBC chair Samir Shah and BBC lawyer Sarah Jones.
The letter read, “As set forth in an internal whistleblower memorandum, the BBC's segment maliciously made it appear that President Trump "[said] things [he] never actually said," by editing together footage from the start of the speech with a separate quote early an hour later.”
“Due to their salacious nature, the fabricated statements that were aired by the BBC have been widely disseminated throughout various digital mediums, which have reached tens of millions of people worldwide. Consequently, the BBC has caused President Trump to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm,” it added.
The legal team has also threatened a $1bn (£760m) lawsuit, setting a deadline of 10pm UK time Friday to meet its demands.
