The BBC Apologizes to Trump for Altered Video but Declines to Offer Compensation

US President Donald Trump has received a formal apology from the BBC after a Panorama episode included an edited segment of his speech that misrepresented its context. Despite acknowledging the error, the broadcaster refused Trump’s request for financial compensation, arguing that there was no valid basis for a defamation claim.

In its statement, the BBC revealed that its Director-General, Samir Shah, had personally written to the White House to convey both his own and the corporation’s “sincere sorry” for the inaccurate edit included in the program.

“We acknowledge that our edit inadvertently gave the impression that we were showing a single continuous section of the speech, rather than excerpts from different points in the speech, and that this created the mistaken impression that President Trump had issued a direct call for violent action,” the BBC said in its correction notice.

The broadcaster added that the Panorama documentary in question would not be rebroadcast on any BBC platform, effectively removing it from future circulation.

“Although the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree that there is any basis for a defamation claim,” the organization stated, rejecting Trump’s demand for reimbursement.

Trump Has Not Yet Filed a Lawsuit Against the BBC

Responding to an earlier claim from the White House, President Trump’s legal team clarified on Thursday that no lawsuit has been filed against the BBC at this time.

The attorneys emphasized that while Trump had threatened legal action over the edit—featured in Panorama’s coverage of the events surrounding the 2021 Capitol attack—no formal complaint had yet been lodged. Trump had previously demanded both an apology and compensation in a letter sent to the broadcaster on Sunday, while the BBC characterized the edit as an “error of judgment.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that outside legal counsel for Trump had already filed the lawsuit, though the White House did not respond to follow-up questions seeking confirmation.

According to a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team, the BBC has until Friday, November 14, to respond to the president’s letter. They also noted that Trump’s lawyers retain the option to file the lawsuit earlier if they choose.