BBC Settles $1 Billion Lawsuit With Trump After Editorial Scandal

Published by WBN Editorial - November 11, 2025

LONDON (AP) - The BBC has reached a confidential settlement with U.S. President Donald Trump, concluding a $1 billion defamation lawsuit that stemmed from a controversial documentary edit and triggered the resignations of the broadcaster’s two most senior executives.

The dispute centered on a 2023 episode of the BBC’s flagship Panorama program, which spliced together separate portions of Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 speech. The edit appeared to show him urging supporters to march to the Capitol while declaring, “We fight like hell.” A full transcript later revealed the remarks were made in different contexts: Trump’s call to “walk down” included the phrase “peacefully and patriotically,” while the “fight like hell” comment came later without reference to the Capitol.

In a statement Tuesday, the BBC said it was “pleased to have resolved this matter” and reaffirmed its commitment to impartial journalism.

Fallout and Resignations

The controversy erupted after Britain’s Daily Telegraph published a leaked memo by Michael Prescott, a former editorial adviser to the BBC. The dossier not only exposed the Panorama edit but also accused the corporation of broader bias in its coverage of transgender issues and the Middle East.

The revelations sparked a crisis at the broadcaster. Within days, Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness resigned.

·       Davie acknowledged “mistakes were made” and said he bore ultimate responsibility.

·       Turness said she stepped down because “the buck stops with me,” though she defended BBC journalists and denied institutional bias.

Their departures underscored the scale of the scandal and the demand for accountability at the highest level.

Trump’s Reaction

Trump welcomed the resignations at the time, posting on social media that the BBC had engaged in “a terrible thing for Democracy.” He threatened legal action unless the broadcaster issued a “full and fair retraction,” praising the Telegraph for exposing what he called “corrupt journalists.”

A New Chapter

Samir Shah, appointed BBC chair during the crisis, previously apologized for the Panorama edit, calling it an “error of judgment.” The settlement, reached on November 11, 2025, closes one of the most damaging chapters in the corporation’s recent history.

For the BBC, the resolution marks an effort to move past a scandal that shook public trust in one of the world’s most prominent broadcasters.