Donald Trump and his administration expressed delight after Tim Davie resigned from the BBC following controversy over the editing of a documentary featuring one of Trump’s speeches.
Davie’s departure came after criticism that a Panorama documentary had manipulated Trump’s speech before the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. On that day, Trump urged his supporters to protest the election certification, despite no credible evidence of election fraud.
Although Trump stated, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women,” the edited version in Panorama suggested a different context by including the phrase, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
The controversial edit, combining segments from over 50 minutes apart, drew sharp criticism from the White House, which accused the BBC of spreading “100% fake news” and acting as a “propaganda machine.”
Upon his resignation, Davie acknowledged the imperfections within the BBC and emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability, citing ongoing debates surrounding BBC News as a contributing factor to his decision.
Following Davie’s resignation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared an article from The Telegraph titled “Trump goes to war with ‘fake news’ BBC,” alongside coverage of Davie’s departure, with the caption “Shot: Chaser.”
In response, Trump took to TruthSocial, thanking The Telegraph for exposing what he called “corrupt journalists” at the BBC. He criticized the BBC for allegedly tampering with his speech and interfering with the presidential election, labeling them as dishonest actors from a foreign country, despite being a key ally.
Meanwhile, British politicians weighed in on Davie’s resignation, with Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey expressing concerns over the White House’s involvement in Davie’s exit and its attacks on the BBC.