BBC Director-General Resigns Amid Uproar Over Edited Trump Speech

The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tim Davie, has resigned following an escalating controversy over the alleged editing of a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump delivered on January 6, 2021, the day of the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Davie’s resignation, announced jointly with Deborah Turness, the BBC’s Head of News, marks the climax of a week filled with accusations of editorial misconduct, political pressure, and internal division within the broadcaster.

The BBC has faced mounting criticism after reports surfaced that an archived version of Trump’s speech aired during a 2021 retrospective documentary had been “selectively edited” to make it appear as though he encouraged the violent storming of the Capitol following his 2020 election defeat.

Both Davie and Turness denied direct involvement in the editing decision but acknowledged that “editorial errors” had occurred. In a joint statement released Sunday, they said:

“We deeply regret the confusion caused and the perception that our reporting misrepresented historical events. The BBC’s integrity depends on trust, and we take responsibility for restoring that trust.”

The controversy has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Several members of Parliament called for a parliamentary review of the BBC’s editorial standards, while Trump himself posted on his Truth Social platform that the network’s actions were “a disgrace to journalism and the British people.”

BBC insiders have described the episode as one of the most serious crises in the corporation’s recent history, rivaling the fallout from the Jimmy Savile investigation and previous editorial scandals involving Iraq War reporting.

Deputy Director-General Charlotte Moore will assume interim leadership until a permanent successor is appointed. The BBC Board has pledged a full independent inquiry into the incident and its handling.