The British Broadcasting Corporation has sent a personal apology to US President Donald Trump but said there was no legal basis for him to sue the public broadcaster over a documentary his lawyers called defamatory.
The documentary, which aired on the BBC's "Panorama" news programme just before the US presidential election in 2024, spliced together three parts of Trump's speech on January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol. The edit created the impression he had called for violence.
"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," the broadcaster said in a statement.
Lawyers for the US president threatened on Sunday to sue the BBC for damages of up to $1bn unless it withdrew the documentary, apologised to the president and compensated him for "financial and reputational harm."
By asserting that Trump’s defamation case lacks merit, the BBC effectively signalled that it believes his claim for financial damages is equally untenable. But the broadcaster did not directly address Trump's financial demand.
In its statement, the BBC said chair Samir Shah "sent a personal letter to the White House making clear that he and the corporation were sorry for the edit."
The documentary, which aired on the BBC's "Panorama" news programme just before the US presidential election in 2024, spliced together three parts of Trump's speech on January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol. The edit created the impression he had called for violence.
"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," the broadcaster said in a statement.
Lawyers for the US president threatened on Sunday to sue the BBC for damages of up to $1bn unless it withdrew the documentary, apologised to the president and compensated him for "financial and reputational harm."
By asserting that Trump’s defamation case lacks merit, the BBC effectively signalled that it believes his claim for financial damages is equally untenable. But the broadcaster did not directly address Trump's financial demand.
In its statement, the BBC said chair Samir Shah "sent a personal letter to the White House making clear that he and the corporation were sorry for the edit."