Judge Orders Donald Trump to Sit for BBC Defamation Lawsuit Deposition by Dec. 11
U.S. magistrate judge orders Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC or face sanctions.
POLICY WIRE — Miami, United States — A federal magistrate judge has commanded President Donald Trump to sit for a formal deposition by Dec. 11 in his sprawling $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC.
The Thursday ruling from U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett arrived after network attorneys voiced heavy frustration over repeated scheduling delays by the plaintiff. Attorney Charles Tobin pointed out that despite having only two months remaining in the discovery period, legal counsel still has not been able to depose the president.
Both sides had previously locked in a date of Oct. 16, but the Republican president ultimately called it off, pointing to a matter of national importance. Tobin countered that Trump was actually campaigning in Georgia on that specific date, prioritizing party politics over his legal obligations.
Lett warned that Trump must complete his deposition by Dec. 11 or risk severe sanctions, which could include the total dismissal of his lawsuit unless the active discovery period is pushed beyond Dec. 18. British broadcasters previously urged the court to compel his appearance after learning the deposition was being effectively stalled until January 2027.
Trump initiated the litigation last December, targeting the publicly funded broadcaster for defamation alongside deceptive trade practices tied to a controversial documentary titled Trump: A Second Chance. The network previously admitted that filmmakers spliced together distinct segments of a speech Trump delivered to supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, ahead of the U.S. Capitol riot, giving the false impression that he directly incited violence.
While the BBC issued a formal apology that led to the resignation of its director and top news executive, the organization maintains that it did not defame Trump. To reinforce its legal defense, the network recently issued a subpoena to former special counsel Jack Smith, a move Trump’s legal team immediately sought to block by arguing Smith lacks any personal knowledge of the case.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
