The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has issued a formal apology to former US President Donald Trump following his threat of a $1 billion lawsuit over the editing of his January 6 speech in a documentary.
Legal Threat Forces BBC Response
President Trump had demanded a full retraction, immediate apology, and compensation from the BBC after their Panorama documentary, Trump: A Second Chance?, allegedly made it appear he encouraged violence before the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
The broadcaster faced a Friday deadline to respond to Trump's legal threat, which demanded no less than $1,000,000,000 in damages.
BBC Admits Editing Error
In a statement released on Friday, the BBC acknowledged the edit was an 'error of judgment' and confirmed the program 'will not be broadcast again in this form on any BBC platforms'.
However, the corporation maintained its position that 'there is no basis for a defamation claim' despite the apology.
The controversial episode has since been removed from the BBC website, with a retraction published on Thursday evening explaining the editing mistake.
Trump's Reaction and Resignations
Addressing the situation earlier this week, President Trump stated: 'I guess I have to [sue]. Why not? They defrauded the public, and they've admitted it.'
He described his original speech as 'a beautiful speech, which was a very calming speech' and accused the BBC of making it 'sound radical' through their editing.
The controversy has already led to significant personnel changes at the BBC, with director-general Tim Davie and chief executive of news Deborah Turness resigning over the furore.
Trump referenced these departures, noting 'the head man quit and a lot of the other people quit' following the editing scandal.
BBC chairman Samir Shah also apologized for the 'error of judgment' on Monday, acknowledging the seriousness of the editing mistake that was first broadcast in October last year.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt weighed in on the matter, describing the BBC as a 'Leftist propaganda machine' and expressing concern that British taxpayers fund the broadcaster.
Despite the apology, legal action from President Trump is expected to continue as he maintains his position that the editing constituted defamation and misrepresentation of his January 6 address to supporters.
