London, November 20, 2025
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a formal investigation into the BBC following accusations that the broadcaster misled viewers by editing President Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech in a 2024 Panorama documentary. The inquiry was announced on November 19 by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr amid concerns the edits created a false impression of direct incitement to violence.
Misleading Editing of Trump’s Speech
The controversy centers on the BBC’s 2024 Panorama episode titled “Trump: A Second Chance?”, which manipulated two portions of Trump’s speech delivered nearly 54 minutes apart. The spliced segments falsely suggested Trump made a continuous call to violent action, saying he would walk with supporters to the Capitol to “fight like hell.” In reality, the original speech clearly included Trump urging his supporters to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” a part omitted from the broadcast.
This selective editing gave viewers the mistaken impression that Trump directly called for violence, a point emphasized by FCC Chairman Carr who stated the BBC’s actions produced “a materially false and damaging statement” that misrepresented the president’s words.
FCC’s Formal Concerns
Chairman Carr’s letter to BBC executives criticized the broadcaster for “depicting President Trump voicing a sentence that, in fact, he never uttered.” The FCC is investigating whether the BBC violated American broadcast regulations by airing misleading content that could distort public understanding, potentially impacting the integrity of news dissemination to US audiences.
The commission has also reached out to PBS and NPR—American public broadcasters that air BBC content—to ascertain if the misleading program was broadcast in the United States and if any regulatory breaches occurred.
BBC’s Response and Leadership Fallout
In response to the backlash, the BBC publicly apologized in November 2025, acknowledging an “error of judgment” that produced a “mistaken impression” about Trump’s speech. The corporation announced the Panorama episode will not be rebroadcast in its original form on any BBC platform.
The scandal precipitated high-level resignations, with BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness stepping down. BBC Chair Samir Shah issued a personal apology to the White House, signaling accountability at the top.
Despite the apology, the BBC declined to compensate former President Trump after his legal team threatened to sue for one billion dollars in damages, demanding a full retraction and apology. The broadcaster maintained there was no defamation basis and rejected the financial claims.
Broader Editorial Scrutiny and Political Context
The incident has opened wider scrutiny of the BBC’s editorial standards. A leaked 19-page whistleblowing memo from Michael Prescott, a former independent adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee, alleges that senior BBC executives and the chair dismissed internal complaints from the corporation’s own standards watchdog. These concerns extend beyond the Panorama episode, spotlighting similar editorial practices in a 2022 Newsnight broadcast and raising questions about bias in coverage of topics such as Gaza and transgender issues.
The investigation emerges amid an intensified political climate in the US, where President Trump has targeted public media. In May 2025, Trump signed an executive order aiming to limit funding to PBS and NPR over alleged bias in their programming. This context adds urgency to the FCC’s probe and heightens the stakes for public broadcasters operating internationally.
As the FCC continues its inquiry, the BBC faces intense examination of its journalistic standards, editorial integrity, and compliance with international broadcasting regulations. The outcomes of this investigation could have significant implications for cross-border media collaboration and public trust in news reporting.