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BBC apologises to Trump over speech edit but refuses to pay compensation

The BBC retracted an edited video of Trump's January 6 speech and apologized but denied defamation, rejecting a $1 billion compensation demand amid executive resignations.

  • On Thursday the BBC apologised to Donald Trump, retracted the Panorama episode and sent a personal letter to the White House, but refused compensation, BBC chair Samir Shah said.
  • A third‑party production company spliced separate parts of Trump's January 6, 2021 speech, combining excerpts nearly an hour apart in the Panorama programme aired days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
  • A leaked Prescott memo to the Telegraph said the BBC 'completely misled' viewers, triggering more than 500 complaints and resignations by Tim Davie and Deborah Turness.
  • Trump's legal team led by Alejandro Brito set a Thursday deadline and threatened a $1 billion lawsuit unless the BBC retracted, apologized, and compensated him; the BBC refused to pay, risking licence‑fee funds.
  • The controversy has drawn political scrutiny, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging the BBC to 'get their house in order' and the BBC probing a second possible misleading edit following The Telegraph reports.
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The BBC issued a public apology to U.S. President Donald Trump for a misleading edition of his speech of January 6, 2021, but stated that “he strongly disagrees that there is a basis for a defamation lawsuit.” Since his creation, more than a century ago, the British public broadcaster has been no stranger to the controversy. In the last week, he was involved in one of his deepest crises, as his director general resigned, his news chief resigned,…

Lean Left

LONDON (AP) — The BBC issued a public apology to U.S. President Donald Trump for a misleading edition of his speech of January 6, 2021, but stated that “it strongly disagrees that there is a basis for a defamation lawsuit.” Since its creation, more than a century ago, the British public broadcast has not been alien to the controversy. In the last week, it was involved in one of its deepest crises, as its director general resigned, its news chief…

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vrt broke the news in Antwerp, Belgium on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
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