The BBC is currently awaiting a response from former US President Donald Trump after publicly apologizing for the controversial editing of his speech preceding the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot in a 2024 Panorama episode. The broadcaster acknowledged the edit as an “error of judgment” but has firmly rejected Trump’s demand for $1 billion in compensation.
Trump’s legal team threatened to sue the BBC unless they issued a retraction and apology. Earlier this week, Trump accused the BBC in a Fox News interview of “defrauding the public” by editing his speech to suggest he explicitly incited the Capitol attack.
In response, BBC Chairman Samir Shah personally apologized to the White House, and the corporation’s lawyers have corresponded with Trump’s legal representatives. A BBC spokesperson emphasized, “While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim.”
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The BBC has removed the Panorama episode titled Trump: A Second Chance? from all platforms and published a retraction online on November 13. The retraction clarifies that excerpts were taken from various parts of Trump’s speech but were edited in a way that mistakenly created the impression of a continuous call for violent action. The corporation apologized specifically for this editorial error.
Further scrutiny has arisen over similar edits aired in a June 2022 Newsnight episode, which allegedly misled viewers in a comparable fashion. The BBC is investigating these claims, reaffirming its commitment to high editorial standards.
The controversy surrounding the Panorama episode culminated in the resignations of two senior BBC executives, Director-General Tim Davie and News Chief Deborah Turness. The contentious episode was broadcast just one week ahead of the 2024 US election results and stitched two clips to depict Trump as urging the crowd: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
Following the release of a critical report by Michael Prescott, a former adviser on editorial standards, the BBC has faced over 500 complaints regarding the editing choices. Chairman Shah acknowledged that the edit gave the false impression of a direct incitement to violence.
The political fallout continues, with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urging UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to pressure Trump to drop the $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC. Davey accused Trump of attempting to “destroy the BBC” and rallied public support for calls demanding balanced political coverage year-round. Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has criticized the BBC’s perceived left-wing bias, is reported to be encouraging Trump’s campaign against the broadcaster. The controversy has even led Reform UK to withdraw from a BBC documentary about the party.