The BBC has received a letter from President Donald Trump, threatening legal action against the broadcaster over an edit of his January 6 speech in a 2024 Panorama film about the Capitol riots.
Following the controversy surrounding the edit, both the BBC’s director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness have handed in their resignations.
A BBC spokesperson has now confirmed they’ve received communication from Trump and "will review the letter and respond directly in due course".
Speaking out about the incident, BBC Chair Samir Shah said: "We have received communication from President Trump and his people and we’re now considering how to reply to him."
When asked if Trump is going to be suing the BBC, he replied: "I do not know that yet, but he's a litigious fellow so we should be prepared for all outcomes."
Criticism around the Panorama documentary began when it was revealed the BBC had edited part of Trump’s January 6 speech.
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In the documentary, Trump appears to say: "We’re gonna walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there 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."
However, he actually said: "We’re gonna walk down, and I’ll be there with you, we’re gonna walk down, we’re gonna walk down any one you want but I think right here, we’re gonna walk down to the Capitol and we’re gonna cheer on our brave senators and congressmen."
Announcing his resignation on Sunday evening, Davie said: "Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable.
"While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision.
"Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility."
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News Editor, Digital Spy
Emma is an experienced entertainment news journalist with NCTJ accreditation and a First-Class Honours Degree in Journalism. Having started her career as a broadcast journalist, Emma’s voice has been heard on varying radio stations across the UK including Absolute, Magic, BBC Three Counties Radio, LBC London News and more.
Later specialising in multimedia entertainment news, Emma has brushed shoulders with numerous famous faces and interviewed the likes of Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Sir Michael Palin, Rick Astley, and too many soap stars to count. Having produced a range of engaging news content over the years for brands such as 7Digital’s Entertainment News, Yahoo, and Express Online, Emma eventually joined Digital Spy in 2022 as Deputy News Editor, becoming Acting News Editor in 2023 and then News Editor in 2024.
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