The BBC announced on Thursday that its chairman apologized to US President Donald Trump for a misleading speech edit, but the corporation firmly rejected the associated defamation lawsuit claim. Moreover, the British public broadcaster recently disclosed it was actively investigating a possible second instance where its editors manipulated a Trump speech misleadingly.
The prior apology on Monday addressed a documentary suggesting Trump directly urged “violent action” before his supporters assaulted the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021. The highly controversial video edit consequently triggered a firestorm of criticism, forcing the BBC’s director-general and its top news executive to resign last Sunday.
Consequently, Trump’s lawyers threatened to sue the public broadcaster for $1 billion in damages.
Apology Issued, Lawsuit Rejected
BBC Chair Samir Shah clarified the corporation’s position in a statement, confirming he “sent a personal letter to the White House making clear… they are sorry for the edit of the president’s speech.” However, the statement stressed, “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.”
Finally, BBC lawyers formally wrote to Trump’s legal team, delivering the corporation’s comprehensive response to the serious lawsuit threat.
Second Edit Under Investigation
Meanwhile, controversy continued swirling around the “Panorama” documentary which the BBC aired in October 2024, prompting the corporation to probe another suspect edit of Trump’s speech. The Telegraph newspaper reported the BBC also aired another report in June 2022 on its “Newsnight” program, where editors combined phrases from different speech points.
Consequently, this combination made it appear as if Trump urged supporters to go to the Capitol and “fight like hell,” according to the Telegraph. Addressing the new report, a BBC spokesperson confirmed, “We are aware of this matter and we are now looking into it.”
This editing row emerges at a politically sensitive time for the BBC, considering the corporation soon renegotiates the Royal Charter outlining its governance. The broadcaster’s current charter officially ends in 2027, adding weight to the high-stakes political debate.
However, despite this political tension, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government have performed a tightrope act, backing the broadcaster’s independence while avoiding opposing Trump.
