In the wake of the resignations of the BBC's director general and head of news, BBC Chair Samir Shah has apologized for what he called an "error of judgement" in editing a speech by President Trump, who's reportedly threatened legal action. The controversy centers on a segment of the Panorama program that pieced together two Trump comments, quoting him as saying, "We're gonna walk down to the Capitol and I'll be with you* and we fight. We fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell, you're not gonna have a country anymore," during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The portion of the quote before the asterisk had actually been stated 54 minutes before the rest, Variety reports.
The incident drew more than 500 complaints after it was highlighted by former BBC adviser Michael Prescott. Shah's apology came in a letter to a parliamentary committee following Sunday's resignations of director general Tim Davie and CEO of news Deborah Turness. He said the edit was meant to help viewers understand how Trump's words were received by his supporters. However, the BBC "accepts that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action," Shah said, apologizing for the lapse.
The controversy adds to a turbulent year for the BBC, which has faced criticism for other editorial decisions, including the airing of a Gaza documentary found in breach of broadcasting rules. Shah said the broadcaster is working "to ensure clearer accountability," including changes to its editorial oversight committee. Shah also said he has been in contact with Trump's team and is considering a direct apology. Trump has threatened legal action in a letter to the BBC, the outlet reports, adding it will respond at a later date. Trump had previously celebrated the resignations of "corrupt 'journalists" and "very dishonest people," saying the episode was "a terrible thing for democracy."
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