The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has apologized to U.S. President Donald Trump for editing a speech in a way that made it appear as though he was inciting violence, but it has rejected his demand for compensation.
In a statement, the BBC said it would not rebroadcast the program. “While the BBC deeply regrets the way the video clip was edited, we firmly disagree that there is any basis for a defamation claim,” the statement read.
The leak of internal accusations of bias within the organization—including the editing of Trump’s 2021 speech on the day his supporters stormed the Capitol—led to the resignation of two senior officials and prompted Trump to threaten a $1 billion lawsuit.
The BBC now faces the possibility of having to use viewer-funded resources to compensate the U.S. president for an error, fueling criticism at a time when more people are canceling their annual license fees.
Trump’s legal team demanded that the BBC withdraw the “Panorama” program, issue a formal apology to the president, and compensate him for the damage caused—or face a lawsuit seeking no less than $1 billion in damages.
On Thursday, Trump’s legal team confirmed that the president has not yet filed a lawsuit against the BBC.