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

A federal magistrate judge in Florida on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order after BBC lawyers complained Trump was stalling, NBC News reported. Failing to comply could expose the suit to possible dismissal.

Trump had been scheduled to be deposed Oct. 16. His lawyers said he canceled to address “matters that have significantly impacted the United States’ national security and economy,” including the wars in Iran and Ukraine, Axios reported.

BBC attorney Charles Tobin told the judge the matter turned out to be a political rally and a fundraiser. “He was participating in party politics and supported his candidates in the election,” Tobin said.

“He prioritized that over his obligations in this proceeding,” Tobin added. Trump’s public schedule that day showed an intelligence briefing, a Georgia rally and an RNC event in Palm Beach, according to Axios.

Trump’s lawyers had proposed a deposition between Jan. 11 and Jan. 22, 2027, arguing his presidential duties prevented an earlier date. They said the BBC was “wrong to claim that President Trump is avoiding his deposition.”

Tobin said January was too late because discovery is set to close Dec. 18, and Trump is the key witness on his claimed damages. Lett also ruled the deposition can be videotaped, over the objection of Trump attorney Alejandro Brito.

The judge said the date could move if U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz extends the discovery deadline, but only Kuntz has that authority, NBC reported. Bloomberg Law and the AP also reported the Dec. 11 deadline.

A spokesman for Trump’s legal team said the “powerhouse lawsuit is holding the BBC accountable for its defamation and reckless election interference just as he has held other fake news mainstream media responsible.”

The Disputed Edit

Trump sued over a BBC documentary that spliced together portions of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech at the Ellipse. He is seeking $10 billion in damages.

The BBC later said in a correction that the clips “gave the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.” Two top BBC leaders resigned amid the backlash, Axios reported.

The broadcaster has acknowledged the splicing but maintains Trump was not defamed and suffered no damages. It says the documentary never aired in the United States.

“If he had truly been harmed by this documentary, we would expect to see a loss,” BBC attorney Sasha Dudding told the court, arguing Trump contends a “12-second edit that aired in England costs him 10 billion dollars.”

Lett agreed that information the BBC subpoenaed from Mar-a-Lago about membership applications and fees is fair game. She has not yet ruled on the BBC’s bid to depose former special counsel Jack Smith.

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