Trump Ordered to Sit for Deposition by Dec. 11 in $10 Billion BBC Lawsuit

A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order from the bench at a hearing in the Florida federal case, after lawyers for the British broadcaster complained that Trump had delayed his appearance in his own lawsuit. BBC attorney Charles Tobin said that with two months left in the discovery period, "we still haven't been able to depose the plaintiff."

The dispute turns on a deposition that had been agreed for October 16. Trump canceled it, citing conflicts with his presidential duties — a "matter of national importance," his side said. Tobin told the judge Trump was in fact campaigning in Georgia that day: "He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition." Trump's lawyers denied in court filings that he is avoiding a deposition, saying his duties and security needs must take precedence, and a spokesman for his personal legal team said the lawsuit is aimed at holding the BBC accountable for defamation and "reckless election interference." The BBC declined to comment.

Trump filed the suit in December in Florida federal court, accusing the BBC of intentionally misleading viewers by splicing together different parts of his January 6, 2021 speech — joining his direction to supporters to "walk down to the Capitol" with a later passage in which he said "we fight like hell" — in a documentary about his political comeback that aired before the 2024 election. The BBC has admitted the edits were misleading and apologized to Trump, while denying it is liable for defamation.

Lett warned that Trump must sit for the deposition by December 11 or face sanctions up to dismissal of his lawsuit, unless the presiding judge extends the discovery period, which is scheduled to end December 18. "Engaging in discovery is burdensome, but is a burden we undertake, especially if we file a lawsuit," she told Trump's attorneys, according to CNN, and she backed a BBC subpoena for membership records at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, which the broadcaster says it needs to test his damages claims. She also rejected Trump's request to bar videotaping of the deposition, while ruling that only attorneys in the case may see the recording. A separate question — whether former special counsel Jack Smith may be deposed — remains open; Smith has asked his former employer for permission, and the judge ruled the Justice Department must respond by November 2.