BBC Seeks Testimony from Trump Family as Billionaire Ex-President Tries to Silence Media in Defamation Lawsuit
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
The BBC has asked a Florida federal court to compel subpoenas for Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr., arguing they possess crucial information in Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation suit—a case widely seen as an attempt by the former president to intimidate journalists and suppress critical coverage of his role in the January 6 insurrection.
Lawyers for the BBC, the respected British public broadcaster, have petitioned a federal court in Florida to allow subpoenas for Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr. The BBC argues these three, all close family members and confidantes of President Donald Trump, have personal knowledge and may hold records vital to Trump’s staggering $10 billion defamation lawsuit. The suit, filed in December, accuses the BBC of editing a 2024 documentary by combining separate excerpts of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech—allegedly misrepresenting his remarks and, according to Trump, seeking to influence the 2024 presidential election. This lawsuit is part of a broader pattern of Trump’s attacks on the free press and his attempts to rewrite the narrative of his incitement of violence at the Capitol.
The BBC has apologized for the editing error but firmly denies defaming Trump. In its legal filing, the broadcaster points out that both Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump were present in the Oval Office while Trump was revising his speech, and that Donald Trump Jr. spoke with his father after the violent assault on the Capitol began. The BBC asserts that this proximity gives the family members direct knowledge relevant to Trump’s dubious claim that the documentary falsely implied he incited the January 6 attack—a claim widely disputed by independent observers and journalists.
Due to the trio’s Secret Service protection and other security measures, the BBC has been unable to serve subpoenas directly. The broadcaster requested the court permit service by email and certified mail, or that Trump authorize service on behalf of his daughter and son-in-law. Predictably, Trump’s team refused, continuing their obstruction and attempts to shield the Trump family from accountability. The judge has given Trump’s lawyers until Friday to respond.
"The BBC is simply trying to distract away from their own obvious liability," the Trump legal team claimed, echoing familiar rhetoric used to deflect from Trump’s own legal troubles.
"The BBC intentionally defamed President Donald J. Trump, and now the BBC is seeking to harass him, his family, and supporters by abusing the deposition process," the team added, furthering the narrative of victimhood that Trump and his allies frequently deploy.
A provisional trial date has been set for February. Earlier, a Florida judge temporarily halted an order requiring Trump to disclose financial details of his business empire while the court reviews an amended complaint that narrows the alleged damages to business and reputation. This legal maneuvering underscores the lengths to which Trump and his circle will go to avoid transparency and accountability.