The BBC has issued an apology to US President Donald Trump after a Panorama episode was found to have stitched together separate parts of his 6 January 2021 speech. The broadcaster acknowledged that the edit could have made it seem like Trump directly encouraged violence, but it has declined his demand for compensation.
In its apology, the BBC said the programme would not be aired again. The broadcaster explained that the editing error may have wrongly suggested that Trump made a continuous call to action. According to the BBC, this was not intentional.
Trump’s lawyers have threatened a lawsuit worth one billion dollars unless the corporation retracts the documentary, offers an apology, and pays damages. The pressure over the controversy also contributed to the resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness.
The BBC said it has sent a formal response to Trump’s legal team. In addition, BBC chair Samir Shah wrote a personal letter to the White House expressing regret over how the clip was assembled. The corporation maintains that although the edit was mishandled, it does not believe Trump has a viable defamation claim.
The original speech contained two separate remarks. At one point Trump told supporters that they would walk to the Capitol to cheer on lawmakers. More than 50 minutes later, he told the crowd that they needed to “fight like hell.” On the Panorama broadcast, these lines appeared back to back, creating the impression that they were delivered consecutively.
Trump told Fox News that the programme had “butchered” his remarks and misled viewers. His legal team sent a letter on Sunday demanding a full retraction and set a Friday deadline for the BBC’s reply.
The BBC has outlined several reasons why it does not consider itself liable. It argues that the episode was not distributed in the United States, that Trump suffered no harm since he won re-election shortly after, and that the edit was made only to shorten the speech, without intent to deceive. The corporation also notes that the clip was part of an hour-long documentary containing a range of perspectives, including voices supportive of Trump. It further points out that opinions on political matters enjoy strong legal protection in the United States.
On Thursday, a second edited clip surfaced. It was broadcast on Newsnight in 2022 and once again combined lines from Trump’s speech in a way critics say altered the meaning. Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney noted at the time that the segment spliced together remarks made at different points in the speech.
Responding to the new claim, the BBC said it is reviewing the matter and reiterated its commitment to high editorial standards. Trump’s legal team told the Telegraph that the new revelation shows a pattern of defamation.
The controversy follows the publication of an internal memo written by a former adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee. The leaked document included criticism of the broadcaster’s reporting on several issues, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the Panorama programme.
