Judge orders Trump deposition in $10B BBC lawsuit
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The gist
A U.S. magistrate judge ordered Trump to be deposed by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion BBC lawsuit.
The deadline puts the president under oath in a case he could lose.
Background
Donald Trump, the U.S. President, sued the BBC for $10 billion in December 2025 over the documentary "Trump: A Second Chance," alleging defamation and deceptive trade practices. The suit centers on editing of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech: the BBC acknowledged filmmakers spliced quotes from different sections to make it seem he was directly urging violence, apologized for an "error of judgment," and its head and top news executive both resigned. The BBC denies defaming him and denies election interference. The dispute is now over pretrial procedure: the BBC says Trump canceled an agreed deposition date and is trying to push his appearance to January 2027.
How it unfolded
- Jan 6, 2021Trump delivered a speech to supporters before the storming of the U.S. Capitol; the BBC later acknowledged filmmakers spliced quotes from different sections to make it seem he was directly urging violence.
- Dec 2025Trump filed his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, also alleging deceptive and unfair trade practices, over the documentary "Trump: A Second Chance."
- Oct 16, 2026An agreed-upon date for Trump's deposition that Trump canceled, citing "matters of national importance"; BBC attorney Charles Tobin said Trump was in fact campaigning in Georgia that day.
- Oct 2026The BBC subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith to bolster its defense, and asked the judge to compel Trump to appear after he canceled, saying he is trying to delay until January 2027.
- Oct 22, 2026U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett, in a hearing in Miami, ordered Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11, or face sanctions up to dismissal of his lawsuit unless the discovery period was extended past Dec. 18.
- Dec 11, 2026Deadline set by the judge for Trump's deposition; the discovery period is scheduled to end Dec. 18.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Judge Enjoliqué Lett ordered Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 or face sanctions up to dismissal, noting only the presiding judge can alter the trial schedule.
- Party
- BBC attorney Charles Tobin said that with two months left in discovery "we still haven't been able to depose the plaintiff," and that Trump prioritized party politics in Georgia over sitting for the deposition.
- Support
- Trump's lawyers say the BBC documentary edit was misleading and that the BBC made a "brazen" attempt to interfere in the 2024 U.S. election.
- Caution
- The BBC denies defaming Trump and denies election interference, while apologizing for the editing as an "error of judgment" without offering damages.
Still unverified
Trump claims the Panorama documentary was streamed on iPlayer by "hundreds of individuals" using a VPN in the U.S. despite being geoblocked in America.