This was surprising to hear especially after they launched such a dirty attack on Trump.
A major international media feud is erupting after former BBC Director-General Lord Tony Hall publicly urged the network not to pay President Donald Trump a dime, even as the president prepares a potential $5 billion lawsuit over a documentary he says was deceptively edited.
Hall made the remarks during a BBC interview on Sunday, insisting that the broadcaster should refuse any settlement.
“You’re talking about public money — license-fee payers’ money,” Hall said. “It would not be appropriate to give any of that to Donald Trump.”
Controversial Edit Sparks Outrage
The conflict began with a “BBC Panorama” documentary that distorted Trump’s January 6, 2021, remarks. The program removed Trump’s call for supporters to protest “peacefully and patriotically,” while splicing together comments made nearly an hour apart to make it appear as a single, inflammatory statement.
Critics say the edit was not a mistake — it was a political move.
A similar misleading edit appeared in the network’s “Newsnight” coverage in 2022, adding fuel to long-standing accusations of bias inside the BBC.
BBC Issues Apology as Scandal Deepens
Facing growing public backlash, the BBC issued a formal apology to Trump last week.
A spokesperson said the BBC’s legal team has reached out to Trump’s attorneys, and confirmed that Chair Samir Shah personally wrote to the White House to apologize for the misleading edit.
However, despite the apology, the spokesperson made it clear the BBC “strongly disagrees” that Trump has grounds for a defamation claim.
The network also says it has “no plans” to rebroadcast the documentary, effectively pulling it from circulation.
Top BBC Executives Forced Out
The editing scandal has already shaken the BBC’s top leadership.
Both BBC News CEO Deborah Turness and Director-General Tim Davie have resigned, an extraordinary development that underscores how serious the controversy has become.
Many viewers — especially in the UK — say the scandal confirms years of distrust over how the BBC portrays conservative leaders, including Trump.
Trump: “They Admitted They Cheated”
Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Trump said he fully intends to take the BBC to court.
“I don’t see any choice at this point,” Trump said. “They’ve acknowledged wrongdoing. They altered what I actually said, and people in the UK are furious about it.”
Trump has not yet filed the lawsuit, but legal experts say the apology makes the case far more significant — and potentially costly for the BBC.