Donald Trump Criticizes BBC Over Panorama Video Controversy
Donald Trump's White House has strongly condemned the BBC amid controversy surrounding a doctored Panorama video involving the President. The dispute centers on how the broadcaster edited a speech by Trump, making it look like he encouraged the Capitol Hill riots.
Leaked Memo Reveals Internal Concerns
Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC), sent an internal memo to the BBC Board last month. Prescott spent three years in this role before departing in June. The memo warns that repeated alerts to the standards watchdog were ignored or dismissed.
In the memo, Prescott explains how the BBC edited Trump’s speech during a Panorama episode, misrepresenting his words to suggest he urged supporters to riot.
"The ‘mangled’ excerpt ‘completely misled’ viewers, showing the president telling supporters he was going to walk to the Capitol with them to ‘fight like hell', when he actually said he would walk with them ‘to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.’"
Trump Administration Responds
Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary, has publicly dismissed the Panorama clip as “100 per cent fake news.” This comes amid rising international pressure on the BBC's top executives, Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, to address the incident and provide explanations.
Key Points:
- Michael Prescott accused BBC of doctored editing to misrepresent Trump’s speech.
- The misleading footage was broadcast in October 2024.
- Trump’s genuine words emphasized peaceful and patriotic protest.
- BBC leadership faces growing scrutiny over editorial decisions.
- Trump’s team firmly rejects the BBC’s portrayal as fabricated.
Author's summary: The BBC faces serious backlash after editing a Trump speech to falsely imply he incited riots, prompting strong denials from the President's team and calls for accountability at the broadcaster.