A controversial social media post by BBC presenter and journalist David Aaronovitch, in which he suggested that President Biden should arrange for the assassination of former President Trump, was deleted on Monday. Aaronovitch claimed his post was “satire”. The remarks were made in response to the US Supreme Court’s decision to rule in favor of substantial presidential immunity from prosecution for official acts performed while in office.
Aaronovitch faced a considerable backlash from conservatives in the UK, with accusations of inciting violence and breaching the BBC’s impartiality guidelines. British actor and the Reclaim Party leader, Laurence Fox, reported Aaronovitch’s post to law enforcement and the US embassy.
The journalist later deleted his post and defended his comments as satire—a genre often used to critique and provoke thought about societal and political issues. He cited the reactions to his tweet as a demonstration of the “daftest people” on social media.
Aaronovitch did not respond to requests for comment about his post. He was reacting to the US Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding presidential immunity, a case resulting from charges as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal election interference case against former President Trump.
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