BBC chairman apologises for ‘error of judgment’ in editing of Donald Trump speech

The BBC was facing a leadership crisis and mounting political pressure on Monday after its top executive and its head of news both quit over the editing of a speech by US President Donald Trump.

The resignation of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness over accusations of bias was welcomed by Trump, who said the way his speech had been edited was an attempt to “step on the scales of a Presidential Election”.

BBC chairman Samir Shah apologised on Monday for the broadcaster's “error of judgment” in editing the speech Trump delivered on January 6, 2021, before a crowd of his supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington.

“We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action,” Shah said in a letter to lawmakers.

Its ‘Panorama’ documentary programme spliced together three quotes from two sections of the speech, delivered almost an hour apart, into what appeared to be one quote in which Trump urged supporters to march with him and “fight like hell”. Among the parts cut out was a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.

In a letter to staff, Davie said: "There have been some mistakes made and as director-general I have to take ultimate responsibility.”

Turness said the controversy was damaging the BBC, and she quit “because the buck stops with me”.