BBC is prepared to make formal apology to Trump to resolve billion-dollar legal threat

The BBC is prepared to formally apologise to Donald Trump as part of its efforts to resolve his billion-dollar legal threat over its editing of one of his speeches, the Guardian understands.

- Michael Savage Media editor

However, figures at the corporation are also minded to be robust in defending its journalism in the face of allegations from Trump that it made "false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements" about him.

The BBC's leadership is facing a looming deadline over how to reply to the Trump threat, filed in a Florida court. It follows the editing of a Trump speech in an edition of Panorama, which was a significant factor in the resignation of BBC director general, Tim Davie, and Deborah Turness, its head of news.

Beyond a fresh apology, a critical question remains how far the BBC goes in defending its reporting more generally in the US, given claims from Trump's allies that it publishes "fake news" in relation to him.

The BBC's legal team has been drawing up its response to the complaint. It relates to an edition of Panorama broadcast last year, which spliced together clips of a Trump speech made on 6 January 2021. It has been accused of making it appear that he encouraged the US Capitol attack later that day.