BBC Embroiled in Controversy Over Trump Speech Misinterpretation
The BBC received criticism after misinterpreting the speech of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, in the attack on Capitol Hill, January 6, 2021. A few senior officials went ahead and resigned from the BBC, taking up the responsibility of the mistake. President Trump then wrote a letter to the BBC, demanding compensation of $1 billion for changing the meaning of his speech.
Trump's Legal Team Issues Demands
Alejandro Brito, a lawyer for Trump, had written to the BBC insisting that it must take the edited documentary off the air altogether. He claimed that the news has gone worldwide and caused considerable damage to Trump's reputation. The letter asked for $1 billion in damages over what was described as false reporting and defamation. Brito also gave the BBC a deadline until Friday to comply.
BBC's Response and Apology from Trump
The BBC said it was now reviewing the letter received from Trump's legal team. President Trump earlier apologized publicly for the alterations to the comments and their removal out of context.
Details of the Speech and Editing Issue
- The speech by Trump was one hour long and was during the incident in Washington, D.C. at Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. According to reports, the BBC edited a speech of Trump in its Panorama documentary that contained the following phrase: "We are going to Capitol Hill. I am coming with you. Let us fight. Let us fight hard".
- But the edited version eliminated his call for protesters to act “peacefully,” and created a misleading impression. The mistake generated widespread criticism and political backlash.
- In the immediate fallout from the furor, the BBC's then-Director General, Tim Davie, and Head of News, Deborah Turness, resigned from their respective posts. The organization has since been scrutinized publicly and at a political level concerning the incident.
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