The BBC issued an apology to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday regarding a misleading edit of his speech on January 6, 2021. Despite the apology, the network clarified that the edit did not constitute defamation, thus rejecting Trump’s threat of a $1 billion US lawsuit.
In a personal letter from the BBC’s chair, Samir Shah, to the White House, apologies were extended for the edited version of Trump’s speech preceding the Capitol breach by some of his supporters as Congress prepared to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
Acknowledging the unintentional misleading portrayal, the BBC emphasized that the edited content incorrectly conveyed a continuous segment of the speech, leading to the false impression that Trump directly incited violent actions. The network confirmed that there are no intentions to rebroadcast the edited documentary that combined segments from different parts of the speech.
Following a demand for an apology and the threat of a hefty lawsuit from Trump’s lawyer, the BBC’s response did not address the request for compensation for alleged financial and reputational damages. The network’s headline indicated a refusal to pay compensation, although no direct response was provided to the compensation demand.
The dispute originated from an episode of the BBC’s investigative series “Panorama” titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” aired ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The documentary, produced by a third-party company, spliced together segments from Trump’s 2021 speech, creating a misleading narrative by omitting portions where Trump advocated for peaceful demonstrations.
In response to the controversy, BBC’s Director-General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness resigned, citing the damaging impact on the network. Trump’s lawyer’s letter demanded a full retraction of the documentary and other allegedly defamatory statements about the president.
Despite Trump’s threats of legal action, legal experts believe he may encounter challenges in pursuing the case in the U.K. or the U.S. Due to expired deadlines for defamation claims in English courts and the documentary not being aired in the U.S., proving reputational harm could be difficult. While some experts doubt the merit of Trump’s claims against the media, he has previously secured settlements from U.S. media outlets and may seek to leverage the BBC incident for a potential settlement, possibly benefiting a charity of his choice.