Trump Faces Dec. 11 Deadline for Deposition in $10 Billion BBC Defamation Lawsuit

A federal magistrate judge has set a Dec. 11 deadline for President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, according to a court order issued Thursday. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett ruled that the president must appear for questioning under oath by that date unless the discovery schedule is extended.

BBC attorneys had complained that Trump was delaying his appearance and said he missed a previously agreed Oct. 16 date, the Associated Press reported. The network’s legal team asked the court to compel the president’s testimony as part of pretrial discovery in the high-stakes case.

The order adds a firm timetable to a lawsuit that has moved through the federal courts in Miami, where Trump filed the action. A missed deadline could expose the president to sanctions or jeopardize his case if the judge finds he failed to comply with discovery obligations.

Lawsuit Centers on 2024 Documentary Edits

Trump filed the lawsuit last year over a 2024 BBC documentary that spliced different sections of his remarks at the White House Ellipse before the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol, according to the complaint and reporting on the case.

The edited clip made it appear Trump encouraged the riot in a single sentence, and the documentary omitted his call to fight ‘peacefully’ and a nearly hour-long gap in the speech, court filings stated.

The disputed sequence sits at the center of the litigation. Trump’s legal team argues the edits crossed from journalism into defamation, while the BBC has said the documentary was a legitimate journalistic product.

BBC Apologized but Disputes Defamation Claim

The BBC formally apologized last year, with chairman Samir Shah describing the matter as an ‘error of judgment,’ while the broadcaster maintained that it did not defame Trump, according to statements from the outlet. The apology did not concede legal liability, and the network has continued to contest the core defamation claim.

The BBC’s director-general and news CEO stepped down amid the controversy, and the broadcaster said the documentary was not on streaming services and did not air in the United States. Those facts are expected to figure in the dispute over whether the disputed material reached American audiences in a way that could support the lawsuit.

The network’s position rests in part on the argument that a corrected or withdrawn program does not by itself establish defamation under the standards that apply to public figures.

Jurisdiction and Discovery Disputes Continue

Trump’s legal team has contended that standing exists because subscribers to BritBox or users of virtual private networks could have watched the documentary, according to court arguments. The BBC has disputed that theory, and the jurisdictional question remains among the issues the court must resolve as the case proceeds.

The BBC subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith for testimony earlier this month, and Trump’s team objected; the judge’s order puts the case at risk of dismissal if the deadline is missed unless the discovery phase is extended, the ruling stated. The subpoena dispute is one of several discovery fights that have slowed the pretrial schedule.

A dismissal would end the $10 billion claim unless the judge grants an extension or the parties reach an agreement on a later deposition date. The court has not indicated whether it would entertain such a request.

President Has Filed Other Media Lawsuits

Trump has sued numerous media outlets during his second term, including a $16 million settlement with CBS News over edits to a ’60 Minutes’ interview and a $15 million settlement with ABC News over comments by George Stephanopoulos, according to reports on the agreements. The settlements have not been confirmed in court records cited in this article.

He also filed a $15 billion suit against The New York Times over coverage of his 2024 bid and sued The Wall Street Journal over publication of details about a birthday card he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein; the White House was contacted for comment.

The pattern of litigation against news organizations has drawn attention from media-law observers, who have noted the frequency of such suits alongside the president’s public criticism of press coverage.

Reference

1. Trump hit with pivotal choice in $10 billion lawsuit against major media outlet https://nypost.com/2026/10/22/us-news/trump-hit-with-pivotal-choice-in-10-billion-lawsuit-against-major-media-outlet/