Florida judge orders President Trump to face deposition in his $10 billion BBC defamation suit
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A federal magistrate in Florida has set a Dec. 11 deadline for President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his lawsuit against the BBC, warning that continued delay could get the $10 billion claim thrown out. The dispute centers on Trump’s complaint that the network’s editing was malicious, while the BBC says he was not defamed and delayed the process.
A U.S. magistrate judge in Florida ordered President Donald Trump to appear for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation by Dec. 11, or risk having the $10 billion action dismissed. The order follows a complaint from BBC counsel that Trump had delayed the process. Trump had originally been scheduled to give a deposition on Oct. 16 but cancelled, citing a “matter of national importance.”
BBC attorney Charles Tobin told the court that the cited matter was a political rally and fundraiser, adding, "> He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition."
Trump’s lawsuit, filed last year, alleges the BBC aired a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction” of him in a documentary that combined excerpts from his Jan. 6, 2021 speech at the Ellipse. The BBC acknowledges the splicing but contends that Trump was not defamed and suffered no damages. The White House referred a comment request to a representative for Trump’s personal legal team, which has not responded.