Britain’s state broadcaster apologized to the president for editing his speech but stated it would not provide financial compensation, as Trump demanded. BBC’s Director General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness resigned over the incident and accusations of biased coverage. BBC chair Samir Shah sent a personal apology to the White House.
Trump mentioned to reporters that he hadn’t discussed the issue with Keir Starmer, though the British prime minister wanted to speak with him. “I’m going to call him over the weekend,” Trump said, adding that Starmer was “very embarrassed.”
“The U.K. is very, very embarrassed by the BBC,” said Trump.
In a GB News interview, Trump expressed an “obligation” to sue the broadcaster, describing the situation as “beyond fake” and “corrupt.” He questioned the motives behind the editing.
Trump has initiated several lawsuits against media companies he claims are unfriendly and defamatory, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, ABC, and Paramount. Paramount settled a $20 billion lawsuit filed by Trump over a deceptively edited CBS interview, paying him $16 million.
Trump’s complaint against the BBC centered on a selectively edited Panorama segment suggesting he told supporters: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell.” The statement was spliced from sections almost an hour apart, excluding Trump’s call for supporters “to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
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