The BBC has apologised to US President Donald Trump after admitting that a Panorama documentary contained a misleading edit of his January 6, 2021 speech. However, the broadcaster has firmly rejected Trump’s demand for $1bn (£759m) in compensation, insisting there is no legal basis for a defamation claim.
The apology comes amid growing scrutiny, just hours after the Daily Telegraph revealed a second similarly edited clip aired on Newsnight in 2022. The fallout has already triggered the resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness.
In a statement published in its Corrections and Clarifications section, the BBC acknowledged that its Panorama edit “unintentionally created the impression” that Trump had made “a direct call for violent action.” The broadcaster has withdrawn the 2024 episode and confirmed it will not be aired again.
The controversy centres on how Panorama spliced sections of Trump’s lengthy rally speech. In reality, Trump told supporters, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol,” and over 50 minutes later said, “We fight like hell.” The edited programme combined the two lines into a single sequence, prompting Trump to accuse the BBC of having “butchered” his remarks.
Trump’s lawyers have threatened legal action unless the BBC issues a full retraction, apologises, and compensates him before a Friday deadline. But in its formal response, the BBC outlined five reasons it rejects liability: the documentary did not air on US channels, there was no demonstrable harm particularly since Trump was re-elected there was no intent to mislead, the clip appeared within broader supportive content, and US defamation law strongly protects political speech.
A second disputed edit from a 2022 Newsnight segment has intensified the backlash. Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney criticised the programme at the time for “splicing together” Trump’s remarks in a misleading way.
Political figures have begun weighing in, with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urging the UK Prime Minister to defend the BBC’s independence.
Despite the apology, the corporation maintains it will fight any legal challenge, asserting its strong belief in its editorial defence.
