The BBC has apologised to US President Donald Trump over a Panorama episode that stitched together portions of his 6 January 2021 speech, but has refused his demand for compensation.
The broadcaster admitted the edit created “the mistaken impression that President Trump had issued a direct call for violence” and confirmed the 2024 programme would not be aired again.
Trump’s lawyers have threatened a $1bn (£759m) lawsuit unless the BBC retracts the segment, issues a formal apology, and pays damages.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said that she was confident the corporation was “treating the matter with the seriousness it deserves,” stressing that her duty was to ensure “the highest standards are maintained.”
In its letter to Trump’s legal team, the BBC sets out five main arguments for why it does not think it has a case to answer.
First it says the BBC did not have the rights to, and did not, distribute the Panorama episode on its US channels. When the documentary was available on BBC iPlayer, it was restricted to viewers in the UK.
Secondly, it says the documentary did not cause Trump harm, as he was re-elected shortly after.
Thirdly, it says the clip was not designed to mislead, but just to shorten a long speech, and that the edit was not done with malice.
Fourthly, it says the clip was never meant to be considered in isolation. Rather, it was 12 seconds within an hour-long programme, which also contained lots of voices in support of Trump.
Finally, an opinion on a matter of public concern and political speech is heavily protected under defamation laws in the US.
A BBC insider said that internally, there is a strong belief in the case the corporation has put forward, and in its defence.
