Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in BBC lawsuit by Dec. 11
Trump must be deposed by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC or face sanctions that could include dismissal of the case, a federal judge ruled.
Archive image · Photo: Paul Gillett / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
A federal magistrate judge in Miami on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett warned that failure to comply could bring sanctions up to dismissal of the case. Discovery is set to close on Dec. 18.
Trump is seeking $10 billion over the documentary "Trump: A Second Chance." The BBC has acknowledged that parts of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech were spliced together, making it appear he directly urged violence. The broadcaster apologized and its director-general and top news executive resigned, but it denies defaming Trump.
According to the BBC, Trump canceled an agreed Oct. 16 deposition, citing matters of national importance, and has sought to push it to January 2027. Trump's lawyers said they would consider a later date if the trial schedule also moves. They also oppose deposing former special counsel Jack Smith, whom the BBC has subpoenaed.