Donald Trump ordered to sit for deposition in $10bn BBC lawsuit
A federal magistrate in Florida sets an 11 December deadline for questioning and warns the case could be thrown out over missing documents.
Donald Trump must sit for a sworn deposition by 11 December in his $10bn lawsuit against the BBC, a US federal judge in Miami ruled on Thursday, warning that continued delays could see the case thrown out entirely.
Federal Magistrate Judge Enjoliqu e Lett also rejected a request from Trump’s legal team to block the seven-hour session from being recorded on video, though the footage will remain restricted to lawyers involved in the litigation.
Why Trump is suing the BBC
The dispute centres on an episode of the BBC current affairs programme Panorama. The broadcast edited together remarks Trump made during a rally on 6 January 2021 ahead of the assault on the US Capitol. Although the programme was not broadcast directly on television in Florida, Trump’s lawyers filed suit under the Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, contending the edit damaged his commercial and personal reputation.
The BBC has denied wrongdoing, and its lawyers told the court on Thursday that Trump’s legal team has failed to engage in the standard discovery process required of a plaintiff seeking damages.
Discovery disputes and deadlines
Judge Lett sharply criticised the material submitted by Trump’s attorneys so far, noting that the files produced ahead of the formal 18 December discovery deadline consisted almost entirely of internet printouts and documents the BBC had provided itself.
| Discovery matter | Trump legal team position | Court ruling | BBC position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposition date | Proposed mid-January | Ordered by 11 December | Accepted court schedule |
| Video recording | Requested prohibition | Allowed, restricted to lawyers | Sought full recording |
| Document production | Claimed thorough review | 30 days to comply or face sanctions | Described production as empty |
| Mar-a-Lago subpoena | Argued club is separate entity | Upheld within scope of discovery | Stated club tied to reputation |
"It strains credulity that a thorough search has been done in order to determine that all of these requests have been responded to," Lett told Alejandro Brito, Trump’s Florida-based counsel. "The court is not satisfied that anyone is doing a thorough job."
Giving the plaintiffs 30 days to turn over relevant internal documents, Lett said failure to comply would risk serious sanctions, including dismissal for failure to prosecute. "This is the last opportunity to do so," she said.
The clash over Mar-a-Lago
The court also addressed a scheduled deposition date of 16 October that Trump’s lawyers cancelled citing "matters of national importance". Charles Tobin, representing the BBC, noted in court that Trump was campaigning in Georgia on that date.
Tobin successfully defended a subpoena issued to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Palm Beach. While Brito argued that the club operates independently of Trump’s official role, Tobin contended that Trump frequently uses the property to host foreign leaders and build his public standing, making its commercial operations relevant to any alleged commercial damages.
Judge Lett upheld the subpoena, ruling that the resort’s affairs are intertwined with Trump’s trade and profession for the purposes of the lawsuit.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lawsuit claim value | $10bn | Court filings |
| Deposition deadline | 11 December | Federal court order |
| Deposition duration | 7 hours | Federal court ruling |
| Document compliance window | 30 days | Federal court ruling |
| Case discovery cut-off | 18 December | Federal court schedule |
Questions readers are asking
Why is Donald Trump suing the BBC?
Trump filed the $10bn action alleging that a BBC Panorama documentary improperly spliced clips of his speech from 6 January 2021, asserting damages under Florida trade practice laws.
What happens if Trump does not sit for the deposition?
Federal Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett warned that failing to comply with discovery orders or miss the 11 December deadline could lead to sanctions, including the complete dismissal of his lawsuit.
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| BBC | British public broadcaster facing the $10bn lawsuit |
| Donald Trump | Plaintiff suing the BBC for defamation and commercial damages |
