BBC has apologised to Trump over misleading speech edit and denied defamation claim amid widening scandal.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the BBC has confirmed that its chairman, Samir Shah, sent a personal letter to U.S. President Donald Trump apologising for a misleadingly edited clip of one of his speeches, but the broadcaster insists the incident does not justify a defamation lawsuit.
The apology follows Monday’s admission that a BBC “Panorama” documentary aired in 2024 had presented an edited version of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech in a way that implied he directly encouraged “violent action” before the U.S. Capitol riot. The fallout has been severe, prompting the resignation of the BBC’s director-general and its top news executive over the weekend, and leading Trump’s lawyers to threaten a $1 billion lawsuit.
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In a statement on Thursday, the BBC said Shah had written to Trump expressing regret over the editing error. However, the corporation stressed it “strongly disagrees” that the incident provides grounds for defamation, revealing that its legal team had formally responded to Trump’s lawyers.
The controversy deepened after the BBC confirmed it is investigating a second potentially misleading edit of the same Trump speech. According to The Telegraph, a 2022 broadcast on the BBC’s “Newsnight” programme appeared to splice together separate parts of Trump’s remarks to make it seem as though he urged supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell.”
A BBC spokesperson confirmed the organisation is now reviewing the matter.
The scandal comes at a crucial moment for the broadcaster, which is preparing for negotiations over its Royal Charter—set to expire in 2027. The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has attempted to maintain a careful balance by defending the BBC’s independence while avoiding direct confrontation with Trump amid escalating political tensions.
