President Donald Trump is currently suing the BBC for defamation to the tune of $10 billion, accusing the British news outlet of “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump.” At issue is how the BBC clipped together parts of one of his speeches before the Jan. 6 riots in a documentary that aired in 2024.
Even though the news segment never aired in the U.S., Trump claimed he was damaged by it and accused the BBC of deceptive and unfair trade practices. A spokesman for Trump’s personal legal team told Reuters the lawsuit intends to hold the BBC accountable for defamation and “reckless election interference.”
On Thursday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ordered Trump to sit for a videotaped deposition to take questions from the BBC’s lawyers by Dec. 11. Earlier this month, Trump cancelled a deposition scheduled Oct. 16, citing conflicts with his presidential duties, or “other matters of national importance,” as his team put it. The BBC’s legal team has balked at that excuse, pointing to the fact that Trump was campaigning in Georgia that day. Charles Tobin, attorney for the BBC, told the Associated Press that “He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition.”
Start your day with essential news from Salon.
Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.
If Trump refuses to sit for this deposition, he could face sanctions, including dismissal of the case, according to reporting from The Guardian. The BBC’s legal team has accused Trump’s side of dragging their feet throughout the legal process, with Tobin telling a Miami courtroom “We still have a completely lopsided [situation] here on discovery. They have produced absolutely nothing of any substance.”
The BBC has subpoenaed the testimony of former U.S. special counsel Jack Smith, who had been involved in the federal prosecution of Trump for election obstruction. “The whole case is boomeranging against him and coming to focus on January 6,” law professor and attorney Harry Litman posted on X.
Read more
about politics
The post Trump’s lawsuit against BBC risks falling apart appeared first on Salon.com.