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A federal judge on Thursday ordered US President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by 11 December in his $10 billion (€8.6 billion) defamation lawsuit against the BBC.
The order by US Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett came after the BBC's lawyers accused Trump of delaying his appearance.
Trump could face sanctions, including the possible dismissal of his lawsuit, if he fails to comply, unless the discovery period is extended beyond 18 December.
Charles Tobin, an attorney representing the BBC, said that with two months left in the discovery period, “we still haven’t been able to depose the plaintiff.”
Tobin said Trump had initially agreed to be deposed on 16 October but cancelled, citing a “matter of national importance.” However, the president was campaigning in Georgia that day, according to the lawyer.
“He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” Tobin said.
Trump filed a lawsuit against the BBC in December 2025, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation and deceptive and unfair trade practices over a documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance.”
The 33-page lawsuit accused the broadcaster of presenting a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump,” describing it as “a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence” the 2024 US presidential election.
The BBC admitted to editing together parts of Trump's 6 January 2021 speech, making it appear he had encouraged violence at the US Capitol. The broadcaster apologised, and two senior executives resigned, but it denied defamation.