Judge orders Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion BBC lawsuit by Dec. 11
Trump canceled an Oct. 16 deposition, citing matters of national importance. The BBC also wants to question former special counsel Jack Smith.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ruled at a hearing in Miami on Oct. 22 that Trump must answer questions under oath by Dec. 11 or face penalties that could include dismissal of his lawsuit, CBS News reported. Discovery is set to close on Dec. 18.
Trump sued the BBC in December 2025 over the documentary "Trump: A Second Chance," which spliced parts of his Jan. 6, 2021 speech. The BBC admits the editing made it appear he directly urged violence, apologized, and saw its director general and top news executive resign, but denies defaming him, the Associated Press reported.
Trump was due to be deposed on Oct. 16, but his lawyers canceled, citing "matters of national importance." BBC lawyer Charles Tobin said Trump was campaigning in Georgia that day, Al Jazeera reported. The BBC says Trump is trying to push his deposition to January 2027, the AP reported.
The BBC has subpoenaed Jack Smith, arguing he can shed light on whether Trump knew his remarks could lead to violence. Trump's lawyers say Smith has no personal knowledge of the speech or Trump's state of mind and that his testimony would be "duplicative," CBS reported.
What is established
- The deposition deadline is Dec. 11; discovery closes Dec. 18.
- Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages.
- The BBC apologized for the edit but denies defamation.
What each side says
Jack Smith lacks personal knowledge of the speech, his testimony would duplicate his public report, and requests for Mar-a-Lago membership records serve no legitimate purpose.
Nearly eight months into discovery it has not been able to question Trump, "the most central figure in this case."
How it was covered
Left 2 reports
CBS and Al Jazeera highlighted that Trump spent the canceled deposition day at a Georgia rally.
Center 1 report
AP led with the fight over deposing Jack Smith.
Right No reports
No coverage from Right outlets in our feeds yet at the time of writing.