A historian and author has expressed “genuine dismay” after a comment concerning Donald Trump was excised from a lecture he delivered for BBC Radio 4.
Rutger Bregman, the presenter of this year’s Reith Lectures, stated that the line was part of a section addressing US politics but was removed before the broadcast.
The Dutch historian indicated via social media that the decision originated “from the highest levels within the BBC”.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed that the corporation “made the decision to remove one sentence from the lecture on legal advice.” BBC News is refraining from repeating the line in question, citing the same legal counsel.
This development follows a recent threat by the former US president to sue the BBC for up to $5 billion over the editing of a Panorama episode.
The BBC has issued an apology for the Panorama edit, acknowledging that it inadvertently conveyed “the mistaken impression that President Trump made a direct call for violent action” on January 6, 2021, the day of the U.S. Capitol riot.
BBC Director General Tim Davie and CEO of BBC News Deborah Turness both resigned amidst the controversy surrounding the edited programme.
Bregman, renowned for works such as Humankind and Utopia for Realists, posted his reaction after his first lecture was broadcast on Tuesday, accusing the BBC of “deciding to censor” his remarks.
“This sentence was taken out of a lecture they commissioned, reviewed through the full editorial process, and recorded four weeks ago in front of 500 people in the BBC Radio Theatre,” he wrote.
“I was told the decision came from the highest levels within the BBC. This has happened against my wishes, and I’m genuinely dismayed by it.”
He further stated that his dismay “is not because people can’t disagree with my words, but because self-censorship driven by fear (Trump threatening to sue the BBC) should concern all of us”.
Bregman added that it was “ironic” the line was removed “because the lecture is exactly about the ‘paralysing cowardice’ of today’s elites,” explaining he was sharing his experience in the hope “that transparency helps strengthen, not weaken, our democratic culture”.
Bregman also shared an excerpt of his speech online, where he referred to Trump as a “convicted reality star” preceding the censored sentence.
He continued by describing Trump as a “modern-day Caligula,” stating, “He surrounds himself with loyalists, grifters and sycophants.”
A BBC spokesperson reiterated: “All of our programmes are required to comply with the BBC’s editorial guidelines, and we made the decision to remove one sentence from the lecture on legal advice.”
When Bregman was announced as the 2025 Reith Lecturer, the BBC stated that his series, titled Moral Revolution, would “delve into the current ‘age of immorality’, exploring a growing trend for unseriousness among elites”.
His remaining three lectures will be released in the coming weeks, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the UK and the BBC World Service internationally, as well as available on BBC Sounds.
Previous Reith lecturers include Stephen Hawking, Hilary Mantel, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Bertrand Russell, and King Charles III, during his tenure as Prince of Wales.
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