The BBC has formally apologized to former US President Donald Trump regarding an edition of Panorama that improperly edited his speech from January 6, 2021. However, the corporation has refused his demand for $1 billion in damages. According to a statement released by the BBC, "Lawyers for the BBC have written to President Trump’s legal team in response to a letter received on Sunday."
“BBC Chair Samir Shah has separately sent a personal letter to the White House making clear to President Trump that he and the Corporation are sorry for the edit of the President’s speech on 6 January 2021, which featured in the programme." The BBC has also stated, “The BBC has no plans to rebroadcast the documentary ‘Trump: A Second Chance?’ on any BBC platforms."
The corporation maintains its stance against the defamation claim. “While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim.” Trump’s legal team had set a response deadline for the BBC of 22:00 GMT on Friday. It has come to light that the Panorama program was never broadcast in the United States due to rights complications.
Although Panorama episodes are seldom re-aired in the UK, a library of past editions is available on BBC iPlayer. This apology was issued shortly after a second instance of similar editing involving President Trump, this time from a 2022 Newsnight broadcast. The Daily Telegraph, initially reported details of the Newsnight clip along with a leaked memo from former BBC advisor Michael Prescott. In his memo, Mr. Prescott alleged “anti-Israel bias” in BBC Arabic’s coverage, further stating that several contributors selectively presented stories critical of Israel.