BBC apologizes to Trump but rejects defamation lawsuit

(Patria) - The BBC said on Thursday that its chairman had sent a letter to US President Donald Trump apologizing for a misleading edit of one of his speeches, but rejected the claim that it formed the basis of a defamation lawsuit, AFP reported.

The comments came after the beleaguered British public broadcaster said earlier it was investigating a possible second instance where a Trump speech was misleadingly edited.

On Monday, the BBC apologized for the impression created in a documentary aired last year that Trump had directly called for "violent action" just before his supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The video edit sparked a furious public backlash, leading to the resignation of the BBC's director-general and the organisation's chief executive of news on Sunday, and prompting Trump's lawyers to threaten a $1 billion lawsuit.

BBC chairman Samir Shah "sent a personal letter to the White House making clear to President Trump that he and the corporation apologize for the edited speech of the president," the broadcaster said in a statement.

However, it added: "While the BBC sincerely regrets the way the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree that there is any basis for a defamation lawsuit."

It said the BBC's lawyers had written to Trump's legal team in response.

As the controversy over the "Panorama" documentary about Trump aired in October 2024 continued to swirl, the BBC said it was now investigating another edit of a Trump speech from the day of the Capitol riots.

The Telegraph newspaper said the BBC had aired another report, in June 2022 in its "Newsnight" programme, in which phrases from different points in a Trump speech were edited together to make it appear as if he was calling on supporters to go to the Capitol and "fight like hell".

A BBC spokesperson said: "This matter has been brought to our attention and we are now investigating."

The row over the edit comes at a politically sensitive time for the BBC, which is due to renegotiate the Royal Charter that governs the corporation's management. Its current charter expires in 2027.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government have appeared to tread carefully, backing the broadcaster's independence while avoiding taking sides against Trump.