A federal magistrate judge in Florida gave President Donald Trump until Dec. 11 to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC, warning that the case could be dismissed if he doesn’t comply. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order Thursday after BBC lawyers argued that the president was running out the clock.
The Order
Trump had been scheduled to testify on Oct. 16. He canceled, citing a “matter of national importance.” BBC attorney Charles Tobin told the judge that the matter turned out to be a political rally and fundraiser. “He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” Tobin said.
Trump’s attorneys proposed a fix: pushing the deposition to late January. Tobin objected, and the calendar supports his argument. Discovery in the case is set to close Dec. 18, 57 days after today’s date, and Tobin said Trump is the most important witness because he claims billions of dollars in damages from the BBC’s 2024 story.
Lett also ruled that lawyers can videotape the deposition, rejecting an objection from Trump attorney Alejandro Brito. She left one door open. The date could change if Jeffrey Kuntz, the district judge overseeing the case, extends the discovery deadline. Only Kuntz has that authority.
The Lawsuit
Trump sued the British news organization last year. He alleges it aired a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction” of him in a documentary that spliced together comments from his Jan. 6, 2021, speech at the Ellipse before the Capitol riot.
The BBC has acknowledged splicing the comments together. It maintains, though, that Trump wasn’t defamed and suffered no damages. The two sides also dispute the basic facts of distribution. Trump says the documentary aired in the days before the 2024 election. The BBC says it never showed the special in the United States.
A spokesman for Trump’s personal legal team defended the suit. “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 spokesman said. The BBC declined to comment.
The Mar-a-Lago Subpoena
The BBC has also subpoenaed Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, seeking information on whether membership applications and fees were affected by the documentary, even though it didn’t air in the United States. Brito argued that the court should quash the subpoena because Trump isn’t claiming the program hurt the business.
Tobin cited Trump’s own complaint. The suit says the documentary “injured President Trump in his profession, occupation and trade,” which Tobin argued makes the club’s records relevant. Lett agreed, finding the information “falls within” the type that should be produced.
The ruling underscores a basic rule of civil litigation. A plaintiff who claims billions in damages has to open his books and answer questions under oath, like any other litigant.
Why This Matters:
The order reminds litigants that the rule of law applies evenly, whether the plaintiff is a private citizen or the president. A plaintiff who asks a court to award $10 billion accepts the burdens that come with it: sworn testimony, document production and a firm schedule. The Dec. 11 deadline, 50 days out, puts that principle into practice. The dispute also touches press accountability. The BBC has conceded it spliced the speech together, yet it argues no damages followed, a question discovery is designed to test. Whether Judge Kuntz extends the Dec. 18 discovery cutoff will determine if the case moves forward on its current timeline or slips into the new year.
- donald trump
- bbc
- defamation lawsuit
- deposition
- florida
- jan. 6 documentary
- mar-a-lago