The BBC has formally apologized to U.S. President Donald Trump. This apology follows a misleading edit of his January 6, 2021 speech. The edited clip appeared in a 2024 Panorama documentary. The clip spliced together different sections of his speech. This wrongly suggested Trump called directly for violent action.
BBC Chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House to apologize. However, the British broadcaster firmly rejects Trump’s financial demands. Trump’s lawyers had threatened a lawsuit seeking at least $1 billion in damages. The BBC stated there is no legal basis for a defamation claim.
The corporation also confirmed it will not rebroadcast the documentary. The controversy has already led to consequences at the BBC. Both the Director-General and the Head of News resigned over the editing scandal. The BBC admits the edit was an “error of judgment.” It accepts the edit gave a mistaken impression to viewers.
