BBC apologises to Donald Trump for edited clip but rejects basis for defamation claim

After Trump’s lawsuit threat, the BBC apologises for an edited clip but refuses compensation, calling the defamation claim baseless

PGurus Newsdesk

November 14, 2025

BBC: ‘Regret over editing, but no defamation’ as Trump threatens legal action

The disputed clip from a 2021 Trump speech triggers a major broadcaster crisis

Britain’s BBC on Thursday issued an apology to US President Donald Trump for an edited video clip that appeared to show him advocating violence, while firmly rejecting his threat of a $1 billion defamation lawsuit.

In a statement, the broadcaster said its chair, Samir Shah, had sent a personal letter to the White House expressing regret over the editing of the clip featured in a Panorama documentary. The BBC also confirmed it has no plans to rebroadcast the programme on any of its platforms.

“While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree that there is a basis for a defamation claim,” the statement said.

The controversy stems from leaked internal emails alleging political bias within the BBC, including concerns over how a 2021 Trump speech—delivered on the day his supporters stormed the US Capitol—was edited in the documentary. The fallout has already led to the resignation of two senior BBC leaders and triggered a sharp response from Trump.

Trump’s legal team had demanded that the BBC withdraw the programme, issue an apology, and compensate him for reputational harm, warning that failure to comply would result in a lawsuit seeking damages of at least $1 billion.

The dispute comes at a sensitive moment for the broadcaster, which relies on public licence fee revenue. Critics argue that errors such as this fuel declining public trust at a time when increasing numbers of households are cancelling their annual payments.

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