Judge Orders Trump to Sit for Deposition in His $10 Billion BBC Lawsuit by Dec. 11

A federal judge in Florida on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11, or face the possibility of having the case dismissed, NBC News reported.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order after the BBC's lawyers argued that Trump was stalling. Trump had been scheduled to be deposed on Oct. 16 but canceled, citing a "matter of national importance," according to NBC News.

BBC attorney Charles Tobin told the court that the matter turned out to be a political rally and a fundraiser. "He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition," Tobin said, NBC News reported. On that day, Trump attended a midterm campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, and a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, the BBC reported.

The Trump Deposition Fight

Trump's lawyers had proposed pushing the deposition to late January. In a filing Wednesday, they said the president could appear between Jan. 11 and Jan. 22 and argued the BBC was "wrong to claim that President Trump is avoiding his deposition in this action," according to the BBC.

Tobin said January was too late. Discovery, the phase in which both sides exchange evidence, is set to close on Dec. 18, and Tobin argued that Trump is the most important witness in the case because he is the one claiming billions of dollars in damages, NBC News reported.

Lett also ruled that the deposition can be videotaped, which Trump attorney Alejandro Brito had opposed. The judge agreed that the date could move if the district judge overseeing the case, Jeffrey Kuntz, extends the discovery deadline, but said only Kuntz has the power to do that, according to NBC News.

A spokesman for Trump's personal legal team said in a statement that "President Trump's powerhouse lawsuit is holding the BBC accountable for its defamation and reckless election interference just as he has held other fake news mainstream media responsible for their wrongdoing." The BBC declined to comment, NBC News reported.

What the BBC Lawsuit Is About

Trump is suing over an episode of the BBC's Panorama program that edited together two separate sections of the speech he gave at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, before the riot at the U.S. Capitol. His lawsuit accuses the broadcaster of "intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring" the speech, the BBC reported.

The BBC has apologized for the edit, saying the broadcast gave "the mistaken impression that President Trump made a direct call for violent action," according to its own report. The broadcaster has asked the court to dismiss the suit, arguing the program does not meet the legal standard for defamation and was not available in the United States.

In July, Trump's lawyers conceded they had no evidence that the documentary was available in the U.S. on the BritBox subscription service, as they had first claimed, or on other BBC platforms, the BBC reported. Trump also agreed to drop his claims against BBC Studios, the broadcaster's commercial arm, after it argued it had no role in making the program.

A deposition is sworn, out-of-court testimony taken by lawyers for the other side and recorded by a court reporter. The transcript can later be used as evidence at trial.

Image: Official White House portrait by Daniel Torok, public domain.

Hold Everyone Accountable.

Sources: NBC News, "Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC" (Oct. 22, 2026): https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-sit-deposition-10-billion-defamation-lawsuit-bbc-jan-6-rcna605034 ; BBC News, "Trump ordered to answer questions under oath in BBC lawsuit" (Oct. 22, 2026): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmy0ryjx7741o ; Reuters, "Trump ordered to sit for deposition in his $10 billion BBC lawsuit" (Oct. 22, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-ordered-sit-deposition-his-10-billion-bbc-lawsuit-ap-reports-2026-10-22/