The BBC manipulated Donald Trump‘s January 6 speech to make it appear as though he encouraged his supporters to break into the Capitol, according to a damning internal report.
Michael Prescott, who spent three years as an independent adviser to the BBC, before leaving last June, sent a damning internal dossier to its board last month after repeated warnings to the standards watchdog were ‘dismissed or ignored.’
The 19-page document obtained by The Telegraph has sent shockwaves through the highest levels of British politics. The BBC, which is funded by the UK taxpayer, is also accused of widespread bias in its coverage ranging from anti-Israeli commentary on the Gaza war to ‘censorship’ of the transgender debate.
Prescott explained how the BBC — often described as the world’s ‘most trusted’ broadcaster — ‘completely misled’ viewers during an episode of the program Panorama which aired a week before the election by showing the president telling supporters he was going to walk to the Capitol with them ‘fight like hell.’
In reality, Trump said he would walk with them ‘to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.’
The report noted that the program made Trump ‘say’ things [he] never actually said’ by editing together footage from the start of his speech with something he said nearly an hour later.
The BBC’s edited footage also featured crowd noise that made the MAGA faithful appear more menacing.
The Capitol riot has been a lasting stain on Trump’s legacy, and the president himself remains under legal scrutiny with ongoing charges related to his role in the 2021 events.
US President Donald Trump speaks at ‘Save America March’ rally in Washington D.C., United States on January 6, 2021
The president sparked backlash on the first day of his second term by pardoning all 1,600 individuals who had been convicted or were awaiting trial or sentencing for offenses related to the January 6 riot.
When the memo was brought to the attention of BBC leadership, they ‘refused to accept there had been a breach of standards.’
The memo’s author additionally warned Samir Shah, the BBC chairman, of the ‘very, very dangerous precedent’ set by Panorama but was ignored.
It is now understood that Prescott’s report is circulating amongst senior figures in the British government.
The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., responded to the controversy by calling UK media ‘dishonest.’
‘The FAKE NEWS ‘reporters’ in the UK are just as dishonest and full of shit as the ones here in America!!!!’ Trump Jr. wrote on X.
Boris Johnson, Britain’s former conservative prime minister, said: ‘This is a total disgrace. The BBC has doctored footage of Trump to make it look as though he incited a riot – when he in fact said no such thing.
‘We have Britain’s national broadcaster using a flagship program to tell palpable untruths about Britain’s closest ally. Is anyone at the BBC going to take responsibility – and resign?’
A mob of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump fight with members of law enforcement at a door they broke open as they storm the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021
Protestors storm inside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol
Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform party, said: ‘It’s no wonder that fewer people are paying the BBC license fee every single year.’
The former BBC adviser who authored the memo says he was compelled to speak out because of his ‘despair at inaction by the BBC Executive when issues come to light’.
‘I departed [from the advisory role] with profound and unresolved concerns about the BBC,’ Prescott wrote. ‘My view is that the Executive repeatedly failed to implement measures to resolve highlighted problems, and in many cases simply refused to acknowledge there was an issue at all.’
He said he had been shocked at the defensiveness of Jonathan Munro, the BBC’s senior controller of news content, and Deborah Turness, chief executive of BBC News, when his complaints were raised.
He added: ‘Firm and transparent action plans to prevent the re-occurrence of problems are in short supply – and so, as you can see, errors are repeated time and again.’
The accusations come at a critical time for the BBC which is facing funding negotiations with the government when the Royal Charter comes up for renewal in 2027.
The charter, similar to a congressional charter in the US, is a government-approved agreement that set outs the BBC’s funding, mission and editorial independence.
A BBC spokesperson told the Mail: ‘While we don’t comment on leaked documents, when the BBC receives feedback it takes it seriously and considers it carefully.
‘Michael Prescott is a former adviser to a board committee where differing views and opinions of our coverage are routinely discussed and debated.’
The White House has been contacted for comment.
