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Staff Writer

BBC Presenter Calls for Trump Murder

A BBC presenter has stirred outrage by suggesting on social media that President Joe Biden should have Donald Trump "murdered," igniting a firestorm of criticism and raising serious questions about media impartiality


A prominent BBC presenter has ignited controversy today by tweeting that President Joe Biden should have Donald Trump "murdered."

 

David Aaronovitch, the host of Radio 4's Briefing Room show, posted on X/Twitter shortly after 5 pm: "If I were Biden, I'd hurry up and have Trump murdered on the basis that he is a threat to America's security #SCOTUS." The hashtag indicates that his extreme view was influenced by the Supreme Court's ruling today, which declared that former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for their official acts.

 

Aaronovitch's tweet immediately drew backlash, with many criticizing it as a blatant violation of the BBC's impartiality rules.

 

In response to journalist Jack Montgomery, who accused him of having "Trump derangement syndrome," Aaronovitch replied: "Did you see the Supreme Court ruling, Jack? Or were you too busy with your head up Nigel Farage's derriere?" The BBC has been approached for comment.

 

In another follow-up tweet addressing someone attempting to add a 'community note' to his statement, Aaronovitch said: "That community note should be interesting. But before you go to the effort of writing it, try reading the arguments, the ruling, and the dissent in the Supreme Court’s judgment on presidential immunity delivered today."

 

An hour after posting the tweet, Aaronovitch told one critic that the post was "satirical and based on today’s 6-3 ruling on presidential immunity."

 

He eventually deleted the post after about 90 minutes, tweeting: "There is now a far-right pile-on suggesting that my tweet about the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity is an incitement to violence when it’s plainly satire."

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