In brief
U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett has ordered former President Donald Trump to take a deposition under oath in the defamation lawsuit he filed against the BBC, which is due by December 11. The case centers on a BBC Panorama piece that edited two segments of Trump's pre‑Capitol riot speech, creating a false impression of a call for violence. Trump, who cancelled a previous deposition on October 16 citing national campaign duties, now must comply with the court’s deadline unless discovery is extended. The BBC has apologized, arguing the program never aired in the U.S. and claiming the defamation claim does not meet legal criteria. Trump had already dropped a related lawsuit against BBC Studios in July after the broadcaster stated it had no involvement in producing the documentary.
A U.S. judge has ordered former President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition under oath in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC, setting a hard deadline of December 11.
The case, filed in Florida, alleges that a 2026 episode of BBC’s Panorama edited together two distinct excerpts of Trump’s speech outside the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021, giving the false impression that he urged the crowd to act violently.
“We have not been able to depose the plaintiff,” said Charles Tobin, the BBC’s legal counsel, when the court noted that Trump had cancelled a scheduled deposition on October 16, saying his campaign was a “matter of national importance.”
Judge Enjoliqué Lett warned that unless the discovery period is extended, Trump is required to appear by the stated date, adding that the BBC’s attempts to dismiss the claim rely on the argument that the programme never reached a U.S. audience.
The broadcaster has apologized and said the clip wrongly suggested a direct call to violence, while its commercial arm, BBC Studios, has since had the lawsuit dropped after the BBC confirmed it had no role in creating the documentary.
Lawyers for Trump conceded that no evidence existed that the Panorama episode was available on the BBC’s BritBox service or other U.S. platforms, a key point in the defamation defence.
The upcoming deposition will be closely watched, as it could clarify the extent of the alleged edit and determine whether the defamation claim holds up in court.
