The BBC issued a personal apology to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday but said there was no legal basis for him to sue the broadcaster over a documentary his lawyers claim was defamatory.
The documentary, which aired on the BBC’s “Panorama” just before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, stitched together three separate parts of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech — the day his supporters stormed the Capitol — creating the impression that he had called for violence.
“While the BBC sincerely regrets the way the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree that there is any basis for a defamation claim,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
Trump’s lawyers had threatened on Sunday to sue the BBC for up to $1 billion unless it retracted the programme, apologised, and compensated him for alleged financial and reputational harm.
By rejecting the claim’s validity, the BBC signaled it does not believe Trump’s demand for financial damages stands up legally, though it did not directly address the compensation request.
The BBC confirmed that Chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House on Thursday expressing regret for the edited clip. Shah had already apologised earlier in the week to a British parliamentary oversight committee, calling the edit “an error of judgement.” The broadcaster added that it will not re-air the documentary on any of its platforms.
The BBC is also reviewing new allegations reported by The Telegraph regarding another edited version of Trump’s speech by its programme “Newsnight.”
The controversy has plunged the BBC into one of its most serious crises in decades. Two senior executives have resigned amid accusations of bias, triggered by a leaked report from a BBC standards official.
Founded in 1922 and funded primarily through a licence fee paid by UK television viewers, the BBC is currently without a permanent leader as the government considers future funding models. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that he supports a “strong and independent” BBC.
