The British Broadcasting Corporation issued a personal apology to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday but maintained that there is no legal basis for a defamation lawsuit over a BBC documentary his lawyers described as misleading.
The documentary aired on the BBC’s Panorama program shortly before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. It combined three separate sections of Trump’s speech from January 6, 2021, the day his supporters stormed the Capitol, creating the impression that he had encouraged violence.
In a statement, the BBC said: “While we sincerely regret the way the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree that there is any basis for a defamation claim.”
Trump’s legal team had threatened to sue the broadcaster for up to $1 billion unless it retracted the documentary, issued a formal apology, and compensated him for alleged financial and reputational damage.
Apology from the BBC Chair, No Plans to Re-Air Documentary
By stating that the defamation claim lacks merit, the BBC made clear that it views Trump’s demand for financial damages as unfounded. However, the broadcaster did not directly comment on those financial claims.
According to the statement, BBC Chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House on Thursday expressing regret over the edit. Earlier in the week, Shah apologized to a British parliamentary oversight committee, calling the editing choice “an error of judgement.”
U.K. Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said on Friday that the apology to Trump was appropriate and necessary, noting that the BBC had acknowledged falling short of its usual standards.
The BBC also clarified that it does not intend to rebroadcast the documentary on any of its platforms.
Earlier on Thursday, the broadcaster said it was reviewing new allegations reported by The Telegraph about how another program, Newsnight, edited the same Trump speech.
The organization is facing its most significant crisis in decades after the resignation of two senior executives amid accusations of bias, including concerns over the Trump speech edits. The controversy surfaced following a leaked internal standards report.
Founded in 1922 and funded largely through a U.K. television licence fee, the BBC is currently without a permanent director-general as the government debates its future funding model. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that he supports a “strong and independent” BBC as an important tool of British soft power.
