BBC Leaders Announce Exit In Spat With Trump Over Edited Speech

British Broadcasting Corp. Director-General Tim Davie is resigning from the UK national broadcaster amid allegations it misled viewers by editing President Donald Trump’s remarks in a Panorama documentary last year.

The program, aired in October 2024, spliced together sections of a speech Trump gave in Washington on January 6 2021, the day of the post-election riot at the US Capitol.

The documentary made Trump appear to say that his supporters should “walk down to the Capitol” and “fight like hell.” In fact, he said they should “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” The “fight like hell” remark was from a different part of the speech.

News chief Deborah Turness also resigned and the BBC is expected to apologize for the misleading video on Monday.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the individuals resigning from BBC “dishonest people” and accused of them of trying to influence a US presidential election. “They were caught ‘doctoring’ my very good (PERFECT!) speech,” he said on Sunday. “What a terrible thing for Democracy!”

The controversy erupted into the open last week after Michael Prescott, a former independent adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee, accused it of “systemic bias” in coverage of Donald Trump and a memo drawing attention to the Panorama editing was leaked to the Daily Telegraph. Turness was one of the editors Prescott singled out for criticism.

The resignations cap a turbulent year in which the BBC was criticized for airing a documentary on Gaza that failed to disclose the protagonist’s links to Hamas, and its highest-paid presenter - former footballer Gary Lineker - stepped down over social-media posts that broke its neutrality guidelines.

All this comes ahead of critical funding talks with the government. Households are currently charged an annual license fee but the model has been undermined by streaming. New arrangements are being considered to be in place from 2027 under a revised “royal charter.”

Following the Panorama revelations, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt last week described the BBC as “100% fake news” and a “leftist propaganda machine” that was “purposefully dishonest.”

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote in the Daily Telegraph that Davie should “come clean” or resign. On Sunday, Leavitt appeared to celebrate Davie’s departure on social media with a link to her earlier comments and the BBC announcement.

In a note to BBC staff on Sunday afternoon, Davie said his decision to leave was in part driven by the Panorama controversy. “While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision,” he said.

He has been at the BBC for 20 years and was appointed director-general in 2020, when Johnson was prime minister. Davie said his decision to leave “allows a new Director-General to help shape the next charter.”

“That is why I want to create the best conditions and space for a new DG to come in,” he said. “I hope that as we move forward, a sensible, calm and rational public conversation can take place about the next chapter of the BBC.”

The exact timing of his departure hasn’t been set. Davie cited “these increasingly polarized times,” in his statement and added: “I hope that as we move forward, a sensible, calm and rational public conversation can take place about the next chapter of the BBC.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy thanked Davie for “his service to public service broadcasting” and stressed that the BBC is “one of our most important national institutions.”

“Now more than ever, the need for trusted news and high quality programming is essential to our democratic and cultural life, and our place in the world,” she said.

Speaking earlier to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Nandy said the BBC’s editorial guidelines on issues including Israel, Gaza and transgender rights don’t “always meet the highest standards, it’s not always well thought through.” She was also critical of channels such as GB News allowing politicians to present the news.

BBC Chairman Samir Shah said about the resignations that it was “a sad day for the BBC.” He praised Davie as an “outstanding Director-General for the last five years,” adding he’ll continue to work with Davie during the transition to a successor.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has a show on GB News, told the BBC’s The Westminster Hour on Sunday night that “there is a massive cultural problem within the BBC,” saying “this is the last chance” for it to make changes.