Trump Ordered to Undergo Oath Deposition in BBC Defamation Lawsuit

A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered former President Donald Trump to answer questions under oath by December 11 in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The order comes after Trump canceled a previous deposition scheduled for October 16, citing "matters of national importance" while campaigning in Georgia.

Trump is suing the BBC over an episode of its Panorama program, which he claims deceptively edited his 2021 speech outside the U.S. Capitol. His lawsuit, filed in Florida, alleges the broadcaster "intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring" the speech. The BBC has apologized for the segment, acknowledging it gave the "mistaken impression that President Trump made a direct call for violent action."

The BBC has requested the court dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the program does not meet the legal definition of defamation and was not distributed in the United States. In July, Trump's legal team conceded they lacked evidence that the documentary was available in the U.S. through platforms like BritBox, the BBC's website, BBC Select, or U.S. broadcasters.

Trump had previously agreed to drop the lawsuit against BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the broadcaster, after the BBC argued that it had no involvement in the documentary's production. The discovery period in the case is nearing its end, with attorneys for the BBC having pressed the court to compel Trump's deposition.