Trump and BBC at war

LONDON – BBC News’ shamed boss hit back at Donald Trump after he accused the broadcaster of being ‘corrupt’.

Deborah Turness, who quit yesterday over the botched editing of one of the President’s speeches by Panorama, turned up for work this morning and told reporters outside Broadcasting House in London that the corporation is not ‘institutionally biased’. 

She insisted the BBC remains the ‘world’s most trusted news provider’.

It came after star presenter Nick Robinson launched into an extraordinary monologue on the Today programme that appeared to play down the impartiality scandal that has brought down the Director General Tim Davie and Turness.

Trump last night condemned the BBC as ‘corrupt’ as he tore into Davie after he resigned in disgrace over a doctored video. 

When asked about President Trump’s comments, an emotional Turness said: ‘‘Of course our journalists aren’t corrupt. Our journalists are hardworking people who strive for impartiality and I will stand by their journalism.’’ 

Explaining why she had quit, she went on: ‘‘I would like to say it has been the privilege of my career to serve as the CEO of BBC News and to work with our brilliant team of journalists.

‘‘I stepped down over the weekend because the buck stops with me. But I’d like to make one thing very clear, BBC News is not institutionally biased. That’s why it’s the world’s most trusted news provider.’’

Former Radio 4 boss Mark Damazer has also insisted that Davie was an ‘outstanding Director General’ and believes it is ‘absolutely wrong’ to say the BBC is ‘systemically biased’.

Trump is said to be ‘absolutely enraged’ by the Panorama scandal and told his friend Nigel Farage: ‘‘I thought this was a State broadcaster.’’ Farage said of the president: ‘‘To say that he was angry would be an understatement.’’

Farage added: ‘‘It’s just the latest of a long list of political biases that we see running throughout the BBC.’’ 

 ‘‘I’ve watched it for decades, whether it was their coverage of the European Union, their coverage of immigration, their coverage of climate change, their swallowing – hook, line and sinker – Hamas propaganda coming out of Gaza and the woke agenda runs through not just news, but every cultural programme as well.’’