- US Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ordered Trump to be deposed by December 11, or face sanctions up to dismissal of his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC.
- Trump canceled an October 16 deposition, citing "matters of national importance"; the BBC's lawyer said he was campaigning in Georgia that day.
- The deposition can be videotaped, but only the lawyers in the case may view the video.
- The judge backed a BBC subpoena for Mar-a-Lago membership records to test Trump's claim that the documentary harmed his reputation.
- Discovery in the case is set to end on December 18; Trump can ask the presiding district judge to extend the schedule.
A federal judge has told President Donald Trump that he cannot keep dodging the BBC's lawyers. At a hearing on Thursday, US Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ordered Trump to sit for a sworn deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster — and warned that the case could be thrown out if he refuses to cooperate with the court's discovery process.
The ruling, reported by the Associated Press and Reuters, is the sharpest setback yet for Trump in a lawsuit he has pursued personally. His legal team had tried to push the deposition off until January, saying the president's duties made him unavailable. The judge wasn't buying it.
Judge sets December 11 deposition deadline
"Engaging in discovery is burdensome, but is a burden we undertake, especially if we file a lawsuit," Lett told Trump's personal attorneys, according to CNN. She also backed a BBC subpoena for membership records at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida club — a sign the broadcaster intends to test how much damage the documentary really did.
Lett said she doubted Trump and his team had done a proper job searching for internal documents in the case. "I tend to agree with the defendant that it strains credulity that a thorough search has been in order to determine that all of the requests have been responded to," she said.
The judge ordered the deposition by December 11, though she acknowledged it could be pushed back if the discovery schedule is extended. She also rejected Trump's request to stop the deposition being videotaped — but ordered that only the attorneys in the case may see the video.
The canceled October 16 date
The fight over the deposition blew up after Trump's lawyers abruptly canceled a deposition that had been scheduled for October 16. They cited matters of "national importance" and later said Trump would not be available until at least January, according to a BBC legal submission.
But the BBC's lawyer, Chuck Tobin, told the court that Trump had actually spent October 16 on the campaign trail in Georgia and fundraising from Mar-a-Lago. "He was participating in party politics and prioritised that over sitting for the deposition," Tobin argued on Thursday.
Trump's attorney Alejandro Brito pushed back hard. "It insults the intelligence of everyone in this courtroom" to suggest those two events were the only things the president was dealing with that day, Brito said.
Mar-a-Lago records subpoena
At the same hearing, Lett backed a BBC subpoena for Mar-a-Lago's membership records. The broadcaster wants membership numbers and dues going back six years — before the documentary aired — to test Trump's claim that the film damaged his "profession, occupation and trade," in the words of the current complaint.
Trump's original lawsuit sought damages for alleged harm to his businesses and brand, but he amended it in August to narrow the claim to harm to his personal reputation. Lett agreed with the BBC that dropping the business claims didn't close the door on using Mar-a-Lago's popularity as a measure of reputational harm, given the role the resort has played in his presidency.
What the BBC lawsuit is about
Trump filed the lawsuit in December 2025, alleging the BBC defamed him with a documentary about his political comeback.
The film, "Trump: A Second Chance," was broadcast on the BBC's "Panorama" programme shortly before the 2024 presidential election — a race he went on to win. Trump says it spliced together two different parts of the speech he gave on January 6, 2021, to make it look like he called for violence. One section, in which he told supporters to "walk down to the Capitol," was joined with a line from much later in the speech — "we fight like hell" — in which he questioned the election result.
The BBC admitted the edits were misleading and apologized to Trump, though it denies being liable for defamation. Trump says the edit created the false impression that he urged his supporters to storm the US Capitol, where his supporters went on to attack the building. He is suing for at least $10 billion over the "misleadingly edited" clip, and has also accused the broadcaster of deceptive and unfair trade practices.
The lawsuit is one of several Trump has filed personally against news outlets — part of what Reuters described as a wider "pressure campaign" against coverage he dislikes. But as Thursday's hearing showed, suing comes with risks: it opens him and his businesses up to scrutiny from the other side.
The BBC has issued at least 47 subpoenas to former and current government officials, as well as private advisers in Trump's circle who had a window into his efforts to overturn the election — including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, according to CNN.
Why it matters
This is a rare moment: a sitting US president ordered to answer questions under oath as a plaintiff in his own defamation case. Judges have historically given presidents wide latitude on scheduling, citing their official duties. Lett's refusal to wait until January — and her warning that the whole case could be dismissed — shows how little patience the court has left for delay.
It also cuts against Trump's strategy of using big-ticket lawsuits against the media while resisting the parts of litigation he finds uncomfortable. The BBC, for its part, is treating the case as a chance to put his damages claims to the test, demanding business records and depositions across his inner circle.
For US readers, the stakes go beyond one lawsuit. The outcome will shape how much deference courts give sitting presidents in civil cases — and how much risk a president takes on when he goes to war with the press in the courtroom.
What happens next
Discovery in the case is scheduled to end on December 18, and the BBC's lawyers want Trump's deposition completed before that deadline. Trump can ask the US district judge overseeing the lawsuit to extend the discovery period, which could also push back the deposition.
Lett will also rule in writing on a series of objections Trump's team has raised to documents the BBC wants, as well as questions it wants him to answer. Those requests cover the January 6 speech, information about his businesses, and even polling data about his favorability.
The judge punted on one question: whether former special counsel Jack Smith can be deposed by the BBC. She is requiring Smith and the broadcaster to go through the formal process of getting approval from his former employer, the Justice Department, and said they can return to the question once the department responds.
Trump's lawyers say the requests are too broad and irrelevant, and have denied he is avoiding the deposition — arguing his duties and security needs must take precedence. Neither Trump's legal team nor the BBC responded to requests for comment after the hearing.
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Frequently asked questions
What did the judge order in the Trump-BBC case?
US Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. She warned that continued stalling could lead to sanctions, up to and including dismissal of the lawsuit.
Why did Trump cancel his first deposition?
Trump's lawyers canceled a deposition set for October 16, citing "matters of national importance" and said he would not be available until at least January. The BBC's lawyer said Trump had actually spent that day campaigning in Georgia and fundraising at Mar-a-Lago, arguing he had prioritized party politics over his court obligations.
What is Trump's lawsuit against the BBC about?
Trump sued the BBC in December 2025, alleging its "Panorama" documentary "Trump: A Second Chance" defamed him by splicing together parts of his January 6, 2021 speech to suggest he called for violence before the Capitol riot. The BBC admitted the edits were misleading and apologized, but denies defamation.
Can the deposition be videotaped?
Yes. The judge rejected Trump's request to prevent his deposition from being videotaped, but ordered that only the attorneys in the case may view the video, keeping it out of public circulation.
What records is the BBC seeking?
The BBC won a subpoena for Mar-a-Lago membership records, including membership numbers and dues over a six-year span, to test Trump's claim that the documentary harmed his reputation. It has also issued at least 47 subpoenas to officials and advisers in Trump's circle.
When does the case's discovery period end?
Discovery is scheduled to end on December 18. The judge said she lacks the power to move that deadline herself — only the presiding US district judge can extend it, which could also push back the deposition date.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- Reuters, "Trump ordered to sit for deposition in his $10 billion BBC lawsuit, AP reports" (October 22, 2026) — reuters.com
- CNN, "Judge insists Trump must be deposed in his $10B lawsuit against the BBC, warns it could be tossed in fight over records" (October 22, 2026) — cnn.com