The BBC is once again under fire for its coverage of Donald Trump, as the broadcaster confronts a fresh accuracy controversy. This time, the dispute centers on a report suggesting that Trump had advocated violence against one of his critics a claim the BBC now admits was misleading.
The controversy dates back to the final days of last year’s presidential campaign, when a presenter on BBC World News America stated that Trump “appeared to suggest Liz Cheney should face a firing squad for her stance on foreign policy.” While this line aired, the corporation later privately acknowledged that it misrepresented the former president’s words. Although internal managers have accepted the mistake, the BBC has not publicly issued a correction, raising questions about editorial accountability during politically charged coverage.
Further confusion arose in another segment when a presenter asked, “He [Trump] is out there on the campaign trail saying he wants people to shoot Liz Cheney in the face. Is that the sort of thing women react well to?” Senior editors reportedly raised concerns, but no on-air clarification was provided. That evening, North America editor Sarah Smith described Trump as “ratcheting up the violent rhetoric” and accused him of suggesting that Cheney should “face guns, have them trained on her face.”
In reality, Trump’s statement was a hyperbolic critique of Cheney, calling her a “radical war hawk” and comparing military risk to political comfort in Washington. His actual words were: “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her face. OK? Let’s see how she feels about it.” While provocative, it was not a literal call for violence a nuance the BBC admits was overlooked.
This incident follows an earlier scandal earlier this year, when the BBC issued an apology after a Panorama documentary was found to have misedited segments of Trump’s January 6 speech, falsely suggesting he directly incited violence. The program was pulled, and two top executives, including the Director-General and head of news, resigned. Although Trump sought compensation, the BBC maintained there was “no legal basis” for a defamation claim, but the former president has vowed to pursue legal action, accusing the broadcaster of “changing the words coming out of my mouth” and “cheating.”
The latest misstep highlights ongoing challenges for global media outlets in reporting on politically polarizing figures like Trump, where even small errors can spark widespread scrutiny and controversy.
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