BBC Seeks Court Order to Compel Trump Deposition in $10 Billion Defamation Case
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The British broadcaster has asked a Florida federal judge to require President Trump to schedule a deposition after his legal team missed previously agreed dates.
The BBC has filed a motion with a federal magistrate judge in Florida requesting that President Donald Trump be compelled to sit for a deposition in the broadcaster’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit. The filing notes that the parties had initially set a deposition for October 16, but Trump’s lawyers later indicated the president would be unavailable due to “matters of national importance” and suggested dates in late January, which would be past the discovery deadline.
The BBC’s counsel argues that, as the plaintiff in a civil case, Trump must fulfill discovery obligations, including confirming a deposition date, providing a secure location, and attending the session. The motion emphasizes that, after eight months of discovery and seven depositions of BBC witnesses, the plaintiff himself has not yet been deposed.
A discovery hearing on the issue is scheduled for October 22. The lawsuit, filed in December 2025, alleges that the BBC violated Florida’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act by editing comments made by Trump at a January 6, 2021 rally in a Panorama documentary. The broadcaster has issued an apology for the editing error.