Trump Ordered to Sit For BBC Deposition

A federal judge on Thursday ordered Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, which has accused the president of stalling to avoid answering questions under oath.

Reuters reports U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett issued the order from the bench at a hearing in Florida federal court, according to a spokesman for Trump’s personal legal team. Trump had canceled an earlier deposition scheduled for October, citing conflicts with his presidential duties and security needs.

Trump is suing the publicly funded British broadcaster over a misleadingly edited clip of his January 6, 2021, speech that appeared in a BBC “Panorama” documentary shortly before the 2024 election. The lawsuit, filed in December in Florida, alleges the BBC intentionally spliced together separate portions of the speech to suggest Trump directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol. Trump seeks at least $10 billion and has described the case as one of several he has filed against news outlets amid broader disputes over coverage he dislikes.

A spokesman for Trump’s legal team said the lawsuit aims to hold the BBC accountable for defamation and “reckless election interference.” The BBC declined to comment. It has previously acknowledged that the edits were misleading and apologized to Trump, while denying liability for defamation.

In court filings, the BBC has accused Trump and his lawyers of delaying responses to discovery requests, including demands for financial records from his Mar-a-Lago club and related business entities that the broadcaster says are needed to evaluate his damages claims. Trump’s lawyers have called the requests overly broad and irrelevant and have denied that he is avoiding a deposition.

The edited clip and a leaked internal BBC memo citing the edits as potential evidence of political bias triggered a public relations crisis at the broadcaster, including high-level resignations.