In brief
Former President Donald Trump has been ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett to answer deposition questions under oath in his defamation suit against the BBC, due by 11‑December. Trump had previously cancelled a deposition citing “matters of national importance” while campaigning in Georgia. The lawsuit stems from a BBC Panorama episode that edited two parts of Trump’s 6‑January speech into a misleading narrative. The BBC has apologized and has requested dismissal, arguing the programme did not meet defamation criteria and was unavailable in the United States. The case highlights the legal clashes between American political figures and international media outlets.
A U.S. magistrate judge has set a deadline of 11 December for former President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
The ruling follows Trump’s cancellation of a prior deposition the week before, which he said was necessary because of “matters of national importance” while campaigning in Georgia. The judge, Enjoliqué Lett, warned that if the discovery period is not extended, the former president must comply by the new date.
The lawsuit was filed in Florida and accuses the BBC of “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring” Trump’s 6‑January 2021 speech given outside the U.S. Capitol. The BBC’s Panorama programme edited two separate sections of the address to give a misleading impression that Trump called for violent action.
The broadcaster has since apologized for the error and argued that the episode did not meet the legal criteria for defamation and was not available in the United States. In July, Trump’s lawyers conceded that they had no evidence the documentary was offered on the BBC’s U.S. services.
Trump eventually dropped a related suit against the BBC’s commercial arm after the network maintained it had no role in creating the controversial programme. The upcoming deposition will be a key moment in determining whether the former president’s defamation claim can proceed.
