5 Things To Know About The BBC’s Trump Speech Scandal
FCC investigates BBC for splicing Trump speech, raising questions of deception and bias.
November 21, 2025
1. What did the BBC allegedly do wrong in editing Trump’s speech?
The controversy centers on a Panorama documentary that spliced together two separate sections of Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech. The program combined his statement, "We’re going to walk down to the Capitol," with a phrase he uttered 54 minutes later: "And we fight. We fight like hell." The edit made it appear as a single, continuous sentence, which critics argue falsely depicted him issuing a direct call for violence.
2. Who is investigating the BBC?
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is reviewing the case. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote to the BBC and U.S. broadcasters distributing BBC content, asking if any regulations on news distortion or broadcast hoaxes were violated. While the FCC has no jurisdiction over the BBC in the U.K., it can act regarding American distributors like PBS and NPR.
3. What were the consequences for the BBC internally?
The BBC faced major backlash, resulting in resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News head Deborah Turness. The incident has been described as the corporation’s worst crisis since the Jimmy Savile scandal. The network also formally apologized and retracted the Panorama segment.
4. What is Donald Trump’s legal response?
President Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for damages ranging between $1 billion and $5 billion. Despite the broadcaster issuing an apology and retracting the episode, Trump has rejected the gesture, stating that they "changed the words coming out of my mouth." He insists on proceeding with legal action, claiming the edit was a deliberate attempt to damage him politically.
5. Can the FCC actually punish the BBC?
The FCC has no direct jurisdiction over the BBC, as it is a UK-based entity. However, the regulator holds significant power over US distributors like PBS and NPR. If the investigation finds that these American networks knowingly aired distorted news provided by the BBC, they could face sanctions. This move effectively pressures the BBC by targeting its primar