LONDON — The BBC issued a personal apology Thursday to President Donald Trump over a documentary that his lawyers deemed defamatory, but the British broadcaster insisted there is no legal basis for a lawsuit and no plans to pay any damages.
The apology came amid a deepening crisis at the publicly funded broadcaster, which has lost two senior executives to resignations over bias allegations and faces scrutiny from both British lawmakers and the White House. The controversy centers on a “Panorama” program aired just before the 2024 U.S. presidential election that edited clips from Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, speech to Congress, creating the impression he had urged supporters to commit violence during the Capitol riot.
“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 BBC said in a statement. It added that the corporation’s chair, Samir Shah, had sent a personal letter to the White House expressing regret for the edit.
Trump’s lawyers on Sunday demanded the BBC withdraw the documentary, issue an apology and pay up to $1 billion in damages for what they called “financial and reputational harm.” The BBC’s statement signaled that it views the entire claim, including the financial demands, as without merit, though it did not directly address the dollar figure.
Shah, who earlier this week apologized to a British parliamentary oversight committee and described the edit as “an error of judgment,” did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
The broadcaster also announced it has no intention of rebroadcasting the documentary on any platform. Separately, the BBC said Thursday it is investigating fresh allegations, reported in The Telegraph newspaper, that another of its programs, “Newsnight,” similarly edited the same Trump speech.
The uproar has plunged the BBC into what it called its biggest crisis in decades. The bias claims, including the Trump edit, emerged from a leaked internal report by a BBC standards official. Two senior executives have resigned as a result.
Founded in 1922 and funded primarily through an annual license fee paid by British TV viewers, the BBC remains without a permanent director-general as the government deliberates its future funding model. It plays a key role in Britain’s global “soft power,” projecting the country’s cultural influence worldwide.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed support for the institution Wednesday, telling lawmakers he believes in a “strong and independent” BBC.
The White House did not immediately comment on the BBC’s latest statement. Trump’s legal team has not publicly responded to the apology.
