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A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition no later than December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order on Thursday, warning that failure to comply could result in the dismissal of Trump’s case.
Trump Accused of Stalling the Legal Process
The BBC’s legal team prompted the ruling after accusing Trump of deliberately delaying the process. Trump had originally agreed to a deposition on October 16 but canceled it, citing a “matter of national importance.” BBC attorney Charles Tobin told the court that the matter turned out to be a political rally and a fundraiser.
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“He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” Tobin said. Trump’s attorneys had proposed rescheduling the deposition to late January. However, Tobin argued that timeline was unworkable, since discovery in the case closes on December 18.
Tobin also emphasized Trump’s central role in the lawsuit. He noted that Trump is the single most important witness, as he personally claims to have suffered billions of dollars in damages from the BBC’s documentary.
Deposition Rules and Mar-a-Lago Subpoena
Judge Lett also ruled that the deposition can be recorded on video. Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito had argued against videotaping, but the judge rejected that position.
In addition, Lett addressed a separate dispute over a subpoena the BBC served on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. The BBC sought records showing whether membership applications and fees changed following the broadcast of its documentary. The program did not air in the United States.
Brito had argued the subpoena should be thrown out because Trump’s lawsuit does not specifically claim the documentary hurt his club’s business. Tobin countered that Trump’s own legal filing states the documentary “injured President Trump in his profession, occupation and trade.” Therefore, he argued, that information is fair game. Judge Lett agreed, ruling the records fall within the scope of material that must be handed over.
Background: The BBC Documentary and Trump’s Lawsuit
Trump filed suit against the British broadcaster last year. He alleged the BBC aired a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction” of him. The lawsuit centers on a documentary that spliced together portions of his speech at the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, ahead of the Capitol riot.
The BBC has acknowledged editing together comments from the speech. However, the broadcaster maintains that Trump was not defamed and that he suffered no damages as a result of the program.
The BBC declined to comment on Thursday’s ruling. The White House directed media inquiries to a representative for Trump’s personal legal team, who did not immediately respond.
