Trump ordered by judge to sit for BBC defamation lawsuit deposition by Dec 11

U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett set a firm deadline on Thursday, October 22, 2026, for President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation. According to rulings handed down in Miami, Trump must complete the deposition by December 11 or face severe sanctions, which could include the outright dismissal of his legal action. The order arrived after lawyers for the British broadcaster complained repeatedly that Trump was stalling his appearance.

The legal battle traces back to December 2025, when Trump filed his lawsuit in Florida federal court. He accused the publicly funded network of defamation, as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices, over a documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance.” The 33-page lawsuit described the broadcast as a brazen attempt to influence the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. Specifically, Trump alleged that filmmakers spliced together excerpts from his January 6 speech before the U.S. Capitol attack to make it appear as though he was directly urging his supporters to use violence.

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The BBC subsequently acknowledged that filmmakers edited together quotes from different sections of the speech. The broadcaster issued an apology, and the fallout prompted high-level resignations, including BBC Director General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness. Despite admitting to the editing errors, the broadcaster has consistently denied liability for defamation, arguing that the documentary did not cause any actionable injury.

Friction over the discovery schedule intensified after Trump canceled a deposition previously scheduled for October 16, 2026. While Trump’s camp cited a matter of national importance, BBC attorney Charles Tobin told the court that the Republican president was actually campaigning in Georgia. Tobin argued that Trump prioritized party politics over his obligations as a plaintiff.

"We still haven’t been able to depose the plaintiff."

Charles Tobin, BBC attorney, via Huffpost

"He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition."

Charles Tobin, BBC attorney, via NBC News

According to BBC filings, Trump’s team subsequently claimed he had no availability before discovery closes on December 18, 2026, pushing for a date in January 2027 instead. Judge Lett rejected that timeline, ruling that Trump must sit for questioning by December 11 unless the presiding judge alters the broader trial schedule. Lett also overruled objections from Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, ruling that the deposition can be videotaped.

Legal maneuvering in the case has extended beyond the plaintiff. The BBC subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith earlier in October 2026, arguing that his years investigating the events of January 6 make him an authoritative source. In a joint filing, the broadcaster's lawyers argued that Trump cannot sue over the speech without allowing the network to gather evidence on every element of its defense.

Trump’s lawyers vigorously opposed the subpoena in the same filing, maintaining that Smith lacks personal knowledge of Trump's state of mind and that his testimony would be duplicative given his public reports and congressional testimony.

Disagreements also emerged over financial records. The BBC subpoenaed Trump's Mar-a-Lago club to determine whether membership fees and applications were affected by the documentary. Brito argued the subpoena should be quashed because Trump did not claim the show impacted his business. Tobin countered that because the lawsuit claims injury to Trump's profession, occupation, and trade, financial records are fair game. Judge Lett agreed that the request falls within permissible discovery bounds.

What happens next depends on whether Trump complies with the December 11 deposition Deadline and whether either side successfully petitions to extend the December 18 discovery cutoff.