SHAH ALAM - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is facing one of its biggest credibility crises in recent years after it admitted to an error of judgement in editing footage of United States (US) President Donald Trump’s speech from Jan 6, 2021, the day his supporters stormed the US Capitol.
The controversy has led to the resignation of two top BBC executives, a possible $1 billion lawsuit from Trump and renewed scrutiny of the British broadcaster’s impartiality.
How a Documentary Sparked the Scandal
The crisis erupted after a leaked memo revealed that a BBC Panorama documentary, titled Trump: A Second Chance?, broadcast before the 2024 US Presidential Election, had edited together clips from Trump’s Jan 6, 2021, speech that were nearly an hour apart.
The edit appeared to show Trump urging his supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell,” creating the impression of a direct call to violence.
In reality, Trump’s remarks - “We are going to walk down to the Capitol and I will be there with you and we will fight. We fight like hell” - were drawn from separate parts of his speech.
The original speech also contained a line urging supporters to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” which the edited version omitted.
BBC Chair Samir Shah admitted that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.
“BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement,” he added.
BBC has since removed the documentary from its online iPlayer platform and said it will respond formally to Trump’s legal notice in due course.
Trump’s Response: “A Terrible Thing for Democracy”
Trump, who has long accused the media of unfair treatment, seized on the scandal as fresh evidence of bias.
“The top people in BBC, including Tim Davie, the boss, are all quitting/fired, because they were caught ‘doctoring’ my very good (perfect!) speech of Jan 6, 2021. These are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election.
“On top of everything else, they are from a foreign country, one that many consider our number one ally. What a terrible thing for democracy!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, sent a letter to BBC demanding a retraction, an apology and compensation for “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.” The letter warned that if BBC failed to comply by Friday, Trump would sue the broadcaster for “no less than $1 billion.”
Brito accused BBC of “intentionally and deceitfully editing its documentary in order to try and interfere in the Presidential Election.”
The Fallout: Leadership Shake-Up at BBC
The fallout from the scandal has been swift. BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News Chief Executive Deborah Turness both resigned over the weekend, citing the mounting controversy.
In his resignation statement, Davie said, “While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision. Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as Director General I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
Turness added, “The ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC, an institution that I love.”
However, she defended the organisation, saying, “While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear that recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.”
The Leaked Memo That Triggered the Crisis
The uproar began when a confidential report by Michael Prescott, a former political editor and external adviser to BBC’s editorial standards committee, was leaked to The Daily Telegraph.
Prescott’s memo accused the BBC of several editorial failings, including the misleading Trump edit and broader bias in its coverage of sensitive topics such as transgender rights, Israel’s war in Gaza and antisemitism in its Arabic division.
Prescott wrote that BBC’s editing of Trump’s speech “gave the impression of a direct call for violent action,” suggesting the broadcaster had not met its duty of impartiality.
BBC Chair Samir Shah, in response, described Prescott’s document as a “personal account that does not present a full picture of the discussions, decisions and actions that were taken.”
He said that while individual errors had occurred, “It is not true to say that concerns have been ignored or action not taken.”
What Trump Actually Said on Jan 6, 2021
Trump’s speech on Jan 6, 2021, took place hours before the attack on the US Capitol. In his address, he repeated false claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” and urged his supporters to march on Congress.
“We fight like hell and if you do not fight like hell, you are not going to have a country anymore,” Trump told the crowd.
He also called on then-vice president Mike Pence to “come through for us” by rejecting the election results, something Pence refused to do.
While his legal team points to Trump’s call for supporters to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard” as evidence that he did not incite violence, the US congressional January 6 Committee noted that this line was written by Trump’s speechwriters, and that Trump himself focused on inflaming the crowd.
“President Trump used the phrase scripted for him by his White House speechwriters, peacefully and patriotically, once, about 20 minutes into his speech.
“Then he spent the next 50-or-so minutes amping up his crowd with lies about the election, attacking his own vice-president and Republican members of Congress and exhorting the crowd to fight,” the committee wrote.
What Happens Next
BBC now faces intense pressure to restore public trust as it searches for a new Director-General. Shah said the board would appoint a successor “to allow for an orderly transition” and ensure the organisation maintains its commitment to “high-quality, impartial journalism.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office also weighed in, saying the government supports BBC and does not believe it is “institutionally biased or corrupt.”
A spokesperson added, “What is important here is that BBC maintains the high standards for which it is rightfully recognised internationally.”
As for Trump, his legal team has indicated that any lawsuit will likely be filed in Florida, where he resides. Under US Defamation Law, public figures like Trump must prove that the media knowingly published false information, a high bar to meet.