A combo photo of Trump and people pictured outside the entrance to the BBC in London.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has apologised for what it described as “an error of judgement” in editing a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump, which wrongly suggested he made a “direct call for violent action” ahead of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

The controversy, which has sparked political and media backlash both in the UK and the US, led to the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness on Sunday.

In a letter to UK lawmakers on Monday, BBC Chairman Samir Shah admitted the edited segment from a flagship documentary “did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.”

“The BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement,” Shah wrote, adding that the corporation would implement reforms to strengthen editorial oversight.

The incident has reignited debate over bias and accountability within the publicly funded broadcaster, which has long faced criticism from both the political right and left.

Following the resignations, President Trump celebrated the development, accusing the BBC of being “corrupt” and “dishonest”, while his press secretary labelled it “100 per cent fake news”.

However, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman defended the broadcaster’s broader role, saying:

“The BBC has a vital role in an age of disinformation. It’s important that the BBC acts swiftly to maintain trust and correct mistakes quickly when they occur.”

The controversy emerges just as the British government is preparing a review of the BBC’s charter, which governs its funding and operations. The current charter expires in 2027, and the corporation has been grappling with budget cuts and staff reductions in recent years.

While some politicians, including Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, welcomed the resignations, calling them overdue, others—like Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey—criticised what they saw as political pressure.

“It’s easy to see why Trump wants to destroy the world’s number one news source. We can’t let him,” Davey said.

On the streets of London, reactions were mixed. Some accused the BBC of losing its impartiality, while others defended it as a long-standing target of political attacks from all sides.

Media experts say the scandal represents a defining moment for the broadcaster.
Former BBC journalist Karen Fowler-Watt described the situation as “a crisis”, suggesting it reflected “a right-wing attack, given the media ecosystem in which we all now live”.

The edited footage at the heart of the scandal spliced together parts of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech, making it appear he urged supporters to “fight like hell” and march with him to the Capitol. In reality, the original speech included an intervening line encouraging supporters to “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”

The BBC has faced similar editorial controversies this year, including a documentary on Gaza that regulators found “materially misleading” and criticism for airing a Glastonbury performance where a musician made anti-Israel remarks.

The latest scandal, however, is one of the most serious editorial crises to hit the BBC in years, raising fresh questions about its credibility, independence, and global influence.