The BBC’s director-general and head of news resigned Sunday following a wave of bias accusations, including claims that the broadcaster deceptively edited the January 6, 2021 speech given by President Trump in Washington, D.C., shortly before the crowd marched to the U.S. Capitol.
The publicly funded outlet has come under scrutiny after a leaked report by former standards adviser Michael Prescott highlighted “institutional failings” in coverage of Trump, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and transgender issues, alleging management repeatedly ignored systemic bias.
Tim Davie, who has led the BBC since 2020, acknowledged errors and said he bore ultimate responsibility, before stepping down. Deborah Turness, head of BBC News, also stepped down. Trump praised the resignations, calling the executives “very dishonest people” and condemning the BBC’s Panorama program for splicing parts of his speech to make it appear as though he was inciting the Capitol riot.
In a Sunday post on social media, Trump accused the two executives of trying to “influence a U.S. presidential election,” writing, “On top of everything else, they are from a Foreign Country, one that many consider our Number One Ally. What a terrible thing for Democracy!”
Trump’s legal team has since demanded a formal retraction from the BBC and warned it will file a $1 billion lawsuit if the network does not respond by 5 p.m. EST on Friday, November 14.
