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So the BBC have apologised to Trump and promised that the offending Panorama programme will never be shown again. Good-the splicing of the two sections of his speech was a clear attempt to skew interpretation and stupidly brought the BBC's journalistic integrity into question.
On the other hand, they have refused to pay Trump the billion dollars in compensation he has demanded. This is good for three reasons-firstly because Trump has form for using his position as POTUS to grift for personal gain, secondly, he has form for suing US media companies who dare to say anything critical about him (CBS, CNN, ABC, Paramount, Disney) which effectively threatens freedom of speech and, thirdly, because whilst the BBC undoubtedly edited the speeches, their view that Trump had supported the rioters cannot be reasonably disproven even if they can't prove his active incitement of them.
Despite advice to the contrary, Trump refused to condemn the rioters on the day and only under pressure did he denounce them on the following. Clearly recognizing that the rioters and their supporters were a key segment of his own MAGA support base who bought into his lies about a "stolen election" he has subsequently forged alliances with them, helped fund raise for their legal defences, lionised them as "patriots" and mooted pardons.
Under public pressure, Disney recently decided not to cave in to his demands as other media companies had previously done and reinstated Kimmel's show. Trump will bluster and threaten but I sincerely hope that the BBC similarly refuse to give into his grifting demands. Besides that one billion dollars being a typically idiotic amount to demand, it would also, of course, have to come from tax payers money.
On the other hand, they have refused to pay Trump the billion dollars in compensation he has demanded. This is good for three reasons-firstly because Trump has form for using his position as POTUS to grift for personal gain, secondly, he has form for suing US media companies who dare to say anything critical about him (CBS, CNN, ABC, Paramount, Disney) which effectively threatens freedom of speech and, thirdly, because whilst the BBC undoubtedly edited the speeches, their view that Trump had supported the rioters cannot be reasonably disproven even if they can't prove his active incitement of them.
Despite advice to the contrary, Trump refused to condemn the rioters on the day and only under pressure did he denounce them on the following. Clearly recognizing that the rioters and their supporters were a key segment of his own MAGA support base who bought into his lies about a "stolen election" he has subsequently forged alliances with them, helped fund raise for their legal defences, lionised them as "patriots" and mooted pardons.
Under public pressure, Disney recently decided not to cave in to his demands as other media companies had previously done and reinstated Kimmel's show. Trump will bluster and threaten but I sincerely hope that the BBC similarly refuse to give into his grifting demands. Besides that one billion dollars being a typically idiotic amount to demand, it would also, of course, have to come from tax payers money.
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