The BBC on Friday issued an apology to former U.S. President Donald Trump for a wrongful edit of his January 6 speech, while rejecting his demand for a $1 billion settlement.
BBC Apologizes to Trump
The BBC apologized on Friday, 14 November, for a misleading edit of a fragment of Trump’s January 6 address. The broadcaster rejected allegations of libel.
The apology was sent by Samir Shah, the BBC’s chair, in a letter to Trump, expressing regret for the editing mistake concerning the Capitol attack coverage. Trump accused the BBC of manipulation and threatened legal action, claiming political motive, though he has no grounds for defamation.
Lawsuit for a Billion Dollars
Trump demanded $1 billion in damages, calling the edited footage false and harmful. His lawyers argued that the broadcast reached tens of millions of viewers and caused significant financial and reputational damage.
They gave the BBC until 23:00 local time on 14 November to admit manipulation or face the lawsuit. The BBC rejected the compensation claim and announced that the 2024 program would be rebroadcast.
BBC Executives Resign
In response, BBC chief executive Tim Davie and news director Deborah Turness resigned. Samir Shah admitted the editing error was a “mistake in assessing the situation” and apologized to the culture, media and sport commission.
