Serious crisis in the UK The BBC is on the ground - and Trump keeps on hitting it
A personnel quake, criticism of impartiality - and now a billion-dollar threat from Washington: the BBC is in one of the worst crises in its history.
11.11.2025, 10:39
11.11.2025, 10:41
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- The BBC is being criticized for its editing of a Trump speech from 2021; internal doubts about its impartiality led to two resignations.
- Trump's lawyers demand the withdrawal of a BBC documentary as well as an apology and compensation - otherwise there is a threat of a billion-euro lawsuit.
- The Labor government is backing the BBC, while right-wing critics accuse the broadcaster of systematic bias.
The world-famous broadcaster BBC is in a deep crisis. After two resignations in the management team, it is now also facing a threat from the US President.
In a letter to the BBC, which the broadcaster itself and several US media outlets reported on Monday, Donald Trump's lawyers make several demands that the BBC must meet by Friday. If this does not happen, it could be expensive. An overview.
Why is the BBC being criticized so harshly?
The background to this is, among other things, the editing of a speech by US President Donald Trump for the program "Panorama". The Telegraph newspaper had reported on an internal memo in this context. In it, concerns were expressed about the impartiality of the BBC's reporting.
Specifically, the Trump speech from January 6, 2021, was edited to make it appear as if the US President had said that he would go to the Capitol with his supporters and fight to the utmost. On the day of this speech, Trump supporters had violently stormed the seat of parliament in Washington. The BBC documentary ("Trump: A Second Chance?") was broadcast in November 2024 before the US election, which Trump won.
BBC head of broadcasting Tim Davie announced his resignation on Sunday, partly in light of the editing of this speech. Deborah Turness, who is responsible for BBC news, is also leaving her post. On Monday, BBC Supervisory Board Chairman Samir Shah also apologized in a letter. The letter stated that "the way in which the speech was edited" had "created the impression of a direct call for violent action".
What are Trump's lawyers demanding?
This insight from the BBC is probably not enough for the US President. The letter to the BBC reportedly demands that the broadcaster retract the documentary and all "false, defamatory" statements about Trump by Friday (November 14). It also demands an apology and compensation from Trump.
If the BBC does not comply with the demands, it is reportedly threatened with a lawsuit amounting to "at least" one billion US dollars (the equivalent of more than 860 million euros).
The US President has already filed several lawsuits against media companies in the US in the past. Critics often see this as an attack on the freedom of the press.
What does this mean for the BBC?
The BBC is also being criticized from many sides in the UK following the internal quake. Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, for example, accused it of reporting in a biased manner for decades. The Labour government, on the other hand, backed the broadcaster, which was founded 103 years ago. The BBC is neither corrupt nor biased, Downing Street said on Monday.
Today, Tuesday, the outgoing head of broadcasting, Davie, wants to speak to all BBC employees in a telephone conference, as reported by the broadcaster. Following Turness' resignation, the BBC's deputy head of news, Jonathan Munro, will temporarily take over responsibility for editorial decisions, according to reports.
