A federal judge has ordered US President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by early December in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC.
Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ruled on Thursday that Trump must appear for the deposition by 11 December or risk sanctions, including possible dismissal of his case, unless the discovery period is extended beyond 18 December.
The lawsuit stems from the BBC’s editing of a 2024 Panorama documentary about the US Capitol riots. Trump claims the programme falsely portrayed him as a “violent insurrectionist”, inflicted “massive economic damage to his brand value” and represented a “brazen attempt” to interfere in the US presidential election.
Lawyers for both sides appeared before the judge in Miami to resolve scheduling after Trump cancelled a previously agreed deposition date of 16 October, citing “matters of national importance”. The BBC had asked the court to compel his appearance, arguing he was seeking to delay the process until January.
The documentary, titled “Trump: A Second Chance?”, aired days before the 2024 election. It spliced together separate sections of Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech, creating the impression of a single continuous statement.
The BBC has acknowledged the splicing and apologised for the editing. The corporation’s director-general and its top news executive both resigned over the controversy. However, the broadcaster has denied that the programme defamed Trump.
Although the programme was not broadcast in the United States, Trump’s lawyers argue it was accessible via the BritBox streaming service and through VPN use by Florida residents. They further claim a Canadian company, Blue Ant Media Corporation, held licensing rights and distributed the documentary in North America, including Florida.
Trump filed the lawsuit against the BBC in December 2025.
