United States President Donald Trump has threatened the BBC with legal action and welcomed the resignations of two of its most senior figures, following a campaign that escalated after criticism that the broadcaster’s flagship current affairs program, Panorama, used a misleading edit of a Trump speech in 2024.
Lawyers for the US President reportedly told US media outlets that the BBC must retract the Panorama documentary by Friday or face a lawsuit for “no less” than $1 billion (£760 million). The BBC has confirmed it received a letter and stated it will respond in due course.
BBC Resignations and Internal Criticism
The resignations of BBC Director General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness came after The Telegraph, a right-wing newspaper, published a leaked internal report from a former BBC standards adviser alleging multiple failings in the broadcaster’s coverage.
The report specifically criticized BBC coverage of transgender issues, the conflict in Gaza, and an edit of a Trump speech given on January 6 during the Capitol Hill insurrection.
The leaked report stated that the Panorama documentary had “completely misled” viewers by splicing two parts of Trump’s speech together, cutting together quotes from sections delivered up to an hour apart, combining a line about walking to the Capitol with the instruction to “fight like hell”.
Later on Monday, the BBC Chair, Samir Shah, apologized for the editing of the Trump speech, calling it an “error of judgment.”
Trump had, in fact, given conflicting advice that day to supporters who had gathered in the capital as part of his efforts to discredit his election loss based on false claims of widespread fraud. Trump was later impeached for “incitement of insurrection” related to the subsequent storming of the Capitol by rioters but was acquitted by the Senate after Republicans rallied around him.
Trump and White House Reactions
Trump reacted to the internal report and subsequent resignations on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating: “Thank you to The Telegraph for exposing these Corrupt ‘Journalists.’
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!” Following Davie’s resignation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also celebrated by posting on X her Saturday interview with The Telegraph, which she captioned with “shot,” alongside the BBC article announcing Davie’s resignation, captioned with “chaser.”
In her Saturday interview with The Telegraph, Leavitt had described the BBC as “100% fake news” and a “propaganda machine,” adding that watching BBC bulletins while on trips to the UK “ruins” her day and that taxpayers were being “forced to foot the bill for a leftist propaganda machine.”
Broader Context and Press Freedom Concerns
The independent and publicly funded BBC has been under mounting pressure for years, with right-wing critics accusing it of liberal bias, while left-wing critics express frustration that its management has been unduly influenced by previous Conservative governments and has allowed itself to be drawn into “culture wars” over issues like race, sex, and gender.
This tense and unpredictable atmosphere has left BBC journalists feeling exposed when reporting on contentious issues, particularly the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
At home and abroad, Trump has maintained a persistently antagonistic relationship with many major news organizations, frequently labelling outlets as “the enemy of the people.” His strategy has included suing news organizations, revoking press credentials for reporters, and exerting pressure on media companies and platforms.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has stated that “press freedom is no longer a given in the United States,” arguing that the Trump administration’s policies could cause irreparable harm and will probably take decades to repair.
