Overview
- President Donald Trump said aboard Air Force One that he plans to file a lawsuit as soon as next week seeking between $1 billion and $5 billion over the BBC’s edited montage of his January 6, 2021 speech.
- BBC chair Samir Shah sent a personal apology to Trump, withdrew the Panorama documentary from rebroadcast, and stated the corporation firmly contests any legal basis for defamation.
- The BBC opened an investigation into a second alleged misleading montage in a June 2022 Newsnight segment after a Telegraph report flagged concerns raised internally at the time.
- The Panorama controversy has already triggered the resignations of director‑general Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness.
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to defend a strong and independent BBC, while Trump said he plans to discuss the dispute with him as debate over the broadcaster’s impartiality and future funding intensifies.