At a glance
• BBC chairman Samir Shah faces questions over his leadership amid a “fake news” storm over the reporting of a Donald Trump speech
• The US president is reportedly threatening legal action in the row
• Mr Shah apologised to a Commons committee for the way a speech by the US president was edited for Panorama
Donald Trump is threatening to sue the BBC for $1 billion over the editing of one of his speeches in a growing “fake news” storm.
In a legal letter to the corporation, Trump counsel Alejandro Brito demanded that "false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements" made about the US President be retracted immediately.
It gives the corporation a Friday deadline to respond, adding if it does not, Trump will be "left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than 1,000,000,000 dollars in damages."
The threat came as BBC chairman Samir Shah apologised for an "error of judgment" over the editing of a speech by Trump for the way a speech by the US president was edited for Panorama
Earlier, the chairman faced questions over his leadership as the Corporation was battered by a “fake news” storm over the reporting of the speech.
As the BBC was left reeling from the crisis, a Government minister failed to back Mr Shah keeping his job.
Mr Shah said sorry on behalf of the Corporation on Monday after several days of pressure on the broadcaster over its reporting of the speech he made ahead of the US Capitol riot.
The mounting criticism prompted the resignation of director-general Tim Davie.
The chief executive of BBC News, Deborah Turness, also announced her resignation on Sunday after the corporation was accused of misleading the public following claims that the speech had been selectively edited in the documentary, Trump: A Second Chance?
The US president slammed the “dishonest” BBC following the resignations.
Trump also accused BBC journalists of being “corrupt”, a claim rejected by No10.
In a letter to the Commons culture committee, Mr Shah said the Corporation would like to "apologise for that error of judgment" over the editing of a speech by Trump for Panorama.
He added that there have been more than 500 complaints since the publication of the memo that raised concerns about the editing of the US president’s speech.
"We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action,” Mr Shah stated.
On the threat of legal action Mr Shah said: “We have received a communication from president Trump and his people and we are now considering how to reply to him.
Asked by a senior BBC journalist whether Trump had said whether he was going to sue the Corporation, Mr Shah added: “I don’t know that yet but he’s a litigious fellow so we should be prepared for all outcomes.”
Amid the swirling furore, the chairman was on Monday himself facing questions over his leadership of the Corporation at a time of such crisis and the Government minister, on the morning media round, stopped short of giving him backing.
Asked if the chairman should go as well as the furore grows, veterans minister Louise Sandher-Jones told LBC Radio: ”That’s a matter for them.
“It’s not for a Government minister to opine over that kind of thing.
“What I would say is it has been clear that there have been editorial failings at the BBC that don’t meet the high standards that the public have a right to expect.”
The BBC chairman is in fact appointed by the King on the advice of the Government.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said early on Monday that it had yet to receive a letter it was expecting from Mr Shah and branded the situation “odd”.
She told BBC Radio: “We are still waiting for their letter, we have no indication what is in it, we have not had a statement from them and that seems a little bit odd.”
The letter was sent around midday.
Meanwhile, BBC Today programme presenter Nick Robinson questioned whether there was a lack of leadership at the helm of the BBC amid the crisis.
Interviewing Mark Damazer, a former controller of BBC Radio 4, Robinson asked: “When you say someone should stand up...a final thought before we turn to the chair of the select committee that is going to hear from Samir Shah...isn’t he the person who should be standing up...we still do not have leadership, do we?”
The storm engulfing the Corporation erupted after a memo by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee, raised concerns in the summer about the way clips of the US president’s speech on January 6 2021 were spliced together in Trump: A Second Chance?
The editing made it appear he had told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell”.
Critics said the documentary, broadcast by the BBC the week before last year’s US election, was misleading and removed a section where the US president said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
Trump welcomed the resignations and claimed there had been an attempt to “step on the scales of a presidential election”, adding: “What a terrible thing for Democracy!”
Mr Shah provided further details on the Panorama episode on Monday in his response to the Culture Media and Sport Committee which asked how he would address the concerns.
The chairman said Sunday was a “sad day” for the BBC and stressed Mr Davie, who he praised as "an outstanding director-general,” had still had his and the board’s backing before his resignation.
Mr Davie said his departure will not be immediate and that he is “working through” timings to ensure an “orderly transition” over the coming months, while Ms Turness said controversy around the Panorama edit had “reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC - an institution that I love”.
In a statement sent to staff, Mr Davie said his resignation was “entirely” his decision and he was “thankful” to the chairman and board for their “unswerving and unanimous support” during his tenure.
He said: “Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable.”
The Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy thanked Mr Davie for his “service to public service broadcasting” and for leading the BBC through a period of “significant change”.
She said the Government will support the BBC board through the transition and the upcoming charter review will help the corporation to adapt to a new era that “secures its role at the heart of national life for decades to come”.
The BBC’s Royal Charter, which expires at the end of 2027, sets out the corporation’s mission, public purposes and funding.
Ms Nandy said in November last year that the Government would use the review of the charter to consider alternative ways of funding the corporation but ruled out the licence fee being replaced by general taxation.
Ms Turness, who has been in the role since 2022, said that she had offered her resignation to Mr Davie on Saturday night adding that, despite mistakes being made, the “recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong”.
In a message sent to staff, she said she was “proud” of the work they had done adding: “The ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC - an institution that I love.
“In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down.”
The BBC has been criticised for a number of failings in recent months which include breaching its own accuracy editorial guidelines, livestreaming the controversial Bob Vylan Glastonbury set, as well as misconduct allegations surrounding former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.
Leading politicians said the BBC must change to rebuild its reputation.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said it was the BBC’s “last chance”, adding: “I don’t want to abolish the BBC, I make that very clear, but we cannot have the BBC being seen to be our main national news broadcaster if it cannot perform in a straightforward, simple, unbiased way.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the corporation needs “to turn a new leaf” while Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called for “top-to-bottom” reform.
Timeline of chaos at the BBC: The string of scandals faced by Tim Davies in recent years
Explained: How exactly the BBC doctored Trump speech for controversial Panorama documentary
Tim Davie steps down as BBC Director-General over misleading Trump speech edit
Trump 'corrupt' attack on BBC slapped down by No10 as 'fake news' crisis grows after Tim Davie quit
