Judge orders Donald Trump to sit for deposition in BBC defamation lawsuit

A federal magistrate judge has ordered Donald Trump to provide a sworn deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The legal dispute stems from a Panorama episode that edited two different sections of a speech Trump delivered prior to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Trump’s legal team argues the broadcaster omitted a segment where he instructed supporters to march “peacefully and patriotically.” While the BBC has apologized for the omission, the litigation has moved into the discovery phase.

Trump previously postponed a scheduled October 16 deposition, citing “matters of national importance.” However, court filings from the BBC revealed that on that date, Trump was attending a campaign rally in Georgia and a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. The judge warned that failure to comply with the new deadline could result in sanctions, including the potential dismissal of the lawsuit.

Additionally, the BBC has faced difficulties serving subpoenas to Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner. The broadcaster alleges these individuals have relevant information but have utilized Secret Service involvement to avoid being served since August.