An American-style earthquake at the BBC. The director general of the British public broadcaster, Tim Davie, and the CEO of News, Deborah Turness, have resigned following accusations that a documentary allegedly misled viewers by editing a speech by US President Donald Trump. The case was opened by White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who questioned the journalistic integrity of the British network, declaring that the British broadcaster is"a source of 100% fake news" and a "propaganda machine." Leavitt also called the BBC news programs she watched while attending the US president's visit to Great Britain "the ruin of her day."
Not only that. In an interview with the Telegraph newspaper, the White House spokeswoman specifically referred to a BBC documentary in which a Trump speech had been edited in a way that, she said,"completely misled" viewers by combining parts and omitting others."This deliberately dishonest and selectively edited clip by the BBC is further proof that this is 100% fake news and should no longer be worthy of being broadcast on UK television screens," she added.
BBC Director General Tim Davie and Chief News Officer Deborah Turness resign amid controversy over Donald Trump's speech editing @ultimoranet
— Ultimora.net (@ultimoranet) November 9, 2025
The BBC now clarifies that the report in question was produced by Michael Prescott, a former advisor to the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee who left his post earlier this year. The incriminating part of the documentary concerns the depiction of the Capitol Hill insurrection and, in particular, clips from the current US president's speech on January 6, 2021, edited in such a way, the accusation goes, to make it appear as if Trump had told supporters that he would go to the Capitol with them and"fight like hell." In the unedited clip, however, the president urged the audience to walk with him,"and we will cheer on our brave senators, congressmen and congresswomen." At the time, Trump was contesting President Joe Biden's electoral victory, in the vote that saw him leave the White House after his first term. The montage was included in a documentary titled Trump: A Second Chance?, which aired on the BBC the week before last year's US election. The documentary omitted a portion of Trump's speech in which he urged his supporters to"make their voices heard peacefully and patriotically."
On Sunday, November 9, the British Culture Minister, Lisa Nandy, also spoke out about the matter, calling the accusations"incredibly serious." A hearing with BBC Chairman Samir Shah was scheduled for Monday, November 10, before the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Media and Sport.
Submitting her resignation from the BBC, News chief executive Deborah Turness said in a statement that the controversy surrounding the Panorama program over the video of President Donald Trump"has reached a level that is damaging to the BBC, an institution I love. The responsibility lies with me," she stressed."While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear: recent accusations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong," she added. For his part, the broadcaster's director general, Tim Davie, said:"There have been mistakes, and as director general I must take ultimate responsibility. In these increasingly polarized times, the BBC is uniquely valuable and speaks to us best. It helps make the UK a special place; extraordinarily kind, tolerant, and curious. Like all public organizations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent, and accountable. While not the only reason, the current debate about BBC News understandably contributed to my decision."
