The conflict between the BBC and Donald Trump has intensified after the broadcaster commissioned Dutch author Rutger Bregman, a vocal critic of the US President, to deliver its prestigious Reith Lectures. Bregman, who referred to Trump, Nigel Farage, and tech billionaires like Elon Musk as “a bit fashy,” drew parallels between Trump’s America and the rise of fascism in the 1930s in his upcoming talk “A Time of Monsters.” This choice has reignited claims of institutional left-wing bias within the corporation.
In a recent announcement, Trump indicated he plans to sue the BBC for $1 billion to $5 billion over a Panorama episode that allegedly misrepresented his remarks during the January 6 Capitol protests. White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized the BBC for hiring Bregman, labeling him a “rabid anti-Trump individual.”
The BBC has faced scrutiny, leading to resignations of key figures, including director-general Tim Davie. Bregman’s lectures are set to air on Radio 4 starting November 25, with some BBC staff discussing whether to edit out controversial references to Trump. Bregman emphasized the urgency of combating populism, calling for a moral campaign akin to those that abolished slavery. Despite the backlash, a BBC source affirmed the Reith Lectures’ tradition of presenting diverse thinkers, noting that views expressed belong solely to the speakers themselves.
