The BBC issued an apology to Donald Trump regarding the alteration of his speech preceding the January 6, 2021, unrest at the Capitol. The edited segment aired in a 2024 Panorama episode, with the BBC acknowledging it as an “error of judgement.” A BBC representative confirmed that the segment would not be shown in its modified form on any BBC platforms.
In response to a letter from President Trump’s legal team, BBC lawyers corresponded with them, while BBC Chair Samir Shah personally sent a letter to the White House expressing apologies for the altered speech in the program. The BBC emphasized that they do not intend to re-air the documentary ‘Trump: A Second Chance?’ on their platforms and expressed regret for the editing error, although they disputed the grounds for a defamation lawsuit.
President Trump threatened a billion-dollar legal action over the edited speech, but BBC leadership opted to avoid a public dispute with the former president. Trump, in an interview with Fox News, stated that he felt compelled to pursue legal action due to what he viewed as dishonest editing. Despite his assertions, legal experts questioned the likelihood of Trump winning a defamation case, particularly as the Panorama episode was not accessible in Florida, where the lawsuit was filed.
Trump faced significant backlash for his response to the Capitol riot, which saw his supporters breach the building during the certification of the 2020 Presidential Election.