London, United Kingdom

US President Donald Trump threatened the BBC with a billion-dollar lawsuit Monday as the broadcaster apologised  for editing a speech that gave the impression he urged "violent action" ahead of the 2021 assault on the US Capitol.

In a letter seen by AFP, Trump's lawyers gave the British broadcaster until Friday to fully retract the documentary containing the edit, apologise and "appropriately compensate" the president "for the harm caused".

If the BBC does not comply "President Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights... including by filing legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (One Billion Dollars) in damages," it said.

"The BBC is on notice. PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY."

The BBC director general and the organisation's top news executive resigned Sunday over the row, after accusations that a documentary by the Panorama programme last year featured extracts from a speech by Trump that were edited in a misleading way.

The BBC said that it would "review" the letter from Trump's legal team. It also issued a public apology for the editing.

- 'Financial and reputational harm'

Trump's supporters rioted at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in a bid to overturn the certification of his 2020 US presidential election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

But the letter from Trump's legal team said the BBC edit gave a "false, defamatory, malicious, disparaging, and inflammatory" impression of what he said in his speech outside the White House.

It appeared he had told supporters he was going to walk there with them and "fight like hell". The president also told the audience in the intervening period: "We're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women."

"Due to their salacious nature, the fabricated statements that were aired by the BBC have been widely disseminated throughout various digital mediums, which have reached tens of millions of people worldwide," the letter said.

"Consequently, the BBC has caused President Trump to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm."

A spokesman for Trump's legal team confirmed a letter had been sent to the BBC and said: "President Trump will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in lies, deception, and fake news."

Trump has been accused of launching a number of previous lawsuits to stifle US media, including against broadcasters ABC and CBS, and the New York Times.

The latest controversy has reignited a debate over the British broadcaster, which is cherished by many but has faced long-standing accusations of bias from both ends of the political spectrum.

- BBC promises oversight reform -

In a letter sent to MPs, BBC chairman Samir Shah said the broadcaster accepted that the editing of Trump's speech for the documentary "did give the impression of a direct call for violent action".

"The BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement," he added, vowing to reform oversight within the broadcaster.

Director general Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness stepped down over the escalating backlash on Sunday.

Trump promptly celebrated, accusing BBC journalists of being "corrupt" and "dishonest". His press secretary called the broadcaster "100-percent fake news".

However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesman told reporters the organisation "has a vital role in an age of disinformation".

"It's important that the BBC acts swiftly to maintain trust and correct mistakes quickly when they occur," he added.

The government is preparing a review of the BBC's charter, which outlines the corporation's governance and funding. The current charter ends in 2027.

The cash-strapped broadcaster, which has cut hundreds of jobs, is funded by a licence fee paid by anyone who watches live TV in Britain.

The BBC's latest crisis intensified after the right-wing Daily Telegraph newspaper reported last week that a former external standards adviser's warnings of serious and widespread failings of impartiality and systemic bias had been ignored.

Earlier this year, the BBC apologised for "serious flaws" in the making of another documentary, about the Gaza war, which the UK's media watchdog deemed "materially misleading".

It also faced criticism for failing to pull a livestream of punk-rap duo Bob Vylan during this year's Glastonbury pop festival after its frontman made anti-Israel comments.

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