Judge Orders Trump to Give Deposition in BBC Lawsuit

President Donald Trump must give a deposition by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, a federal judge in Florida ordered Thursday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order after the broadcaster's lawyers accused Trump of delaying the legal process, warning that failure to comply could result in dismissal of his case.

Trump had been scheduled to provide testimony on Oct. 16 but canceled the deposition, citing a matter of national importance. The dispute centers on his lawsuit alleging that the British news organization defamed him through edits to a documentary featuring his Jan. 6, 2021, speech at the Ellipse before the Capitol riot.

BBC attorney Charles Tobin challenged Trump's explanation for missing the scheduled deposition, telling the court that the event he attended instead was a political rally and a fundraiser. Tobin argued that the president had placed political activities ahead of his obligation to participate in the legal proceedings.

“He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” said Charles Tobin, an attorney for the BBC.

The BBC's legal team raised the scheduling dispute before Judge Lett, whose order establishes Dec. 11 as the deadline for Trump to sit for questioning. The judge's directive also places the lawsuit at risk of dismissal if Trump fails to comply.

Trump filed the lawsuit against the BBC last year, challenging the broadcaster's presentation of his remarks in a documentary. His complaint alleged that the editing created a misleading portrayal of his speech before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

In the lawsuit, Trump described the documentary's portrayal of him as a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction.” The case focuses on the broadcaster's decision to splice together portions of his speech at the Ellipse.

NBC News said it had contacted the BBC for comment. The White House referred a request for comment, but the source report did not provide further details about its response.