Politics · Explainer
A judge ordered Trump to testify under oath in his own $10 billion BBC lawsuit — by December 11
A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, which has accused him of stalling to avoid answering questions under oath, according to Reuters, reporting the Associated Press account. US Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett issued the order from the bench at a hearing in Miami, after Trump canceled a planned October deposition citing conflicts with his presidential duties.
What the lawsuit is about
Trump filed the suit in December 2025 in Florida federal court. He alleges the BBC defamed him in a documentary about his political comeback that aired before the 2024 election, by splicing together two separate parts of his January 6, 2021 speech: a section where he told supporters to "walk down to the Capitol," joined to a later passage where he said "we fight like hell," according to CNN's account of the hearing. The claim is split in two: $5 billion for defamation and another $5 billion under Florida's deceptive and unfair trade practices law, according to LawLova's case summary, citing the New York Post. The BBC has admitted the edit was misleading and apologized — but denies it is liable for defamation, Reuters reports.
Why the judge stepped in
Discovery — the phase where each side must hand over records and answer questions — has become the fight itself. The BBC says Trump has dragged his feet on document requests and canceled his agreed deposition date; his lawyers say he is not avoiding it, and that presidential duties and security needs come first. At Thursday's hearing, BBC lawyer Chuck Tobin noted Trump spent the canceled day on the campaign trail in Georgia and fundraising at Mar-a-Lago, arguing the president had "prioritized party politics," CNN reports. Lett was blunt: "Engaging in discovery is burdensome, but is a burden we undertake, especially if we file a lawsuit," she told Trump's lawyers, adding that it "strains credulity" that a thorough search had been done for the requested documents. She also warned the lawsuit could be dismissed if Trump does not work harder to produce what the BBC is entitled to.
- December 11, 2026 — deadline for Trump's deposition
- December 18, 2026 — discovery closes; only the district judge can extend it
- 47+ — subpoenas the BBC has issued to officials and Trump advisers, per CNN
- November 2 — deadline for the Justice Department to respond on former special counsel Jack Smith testifying
The deposition — and the Mar-a-Lago records
Lett rejected Trump's request to block videotaping: the deposition will be recorded on video, but only attorneys in the case may see it, according to Bloomberg Law and CNN. She also backed the BBC's subpoena for Mar-a-Lago membership records — membership numbers and dues over a six-year span — which the broadcaster wants in order to test Trump's claim that the documentary harmed his profession and reputation, CNN reports. In total, the BBC has issued at least 47 subpoenas to current and former officials and private advisers, including Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr and former White House counsel Pat Cipollone. A separate fight over whether former special counsel Jack Smith can be deposed is on hold until the Justice Department responds by November 2.
What happens next
The December 11 date is firm unless it moves with the calendar around it: Lett noted she cannot extend the December 18 discovery deadline herself, so Trump could ask the district judge overseeing the case to extend discovery — which would likely push the deposition back, as both sides acknowledged Thursday. If he simply does not appear, the sanctions on the table include dismissal of his own lawsuit. Either way, the hearing made the central irony concrete: the president sued the BBC, and suing means the other side gets to ask him questions — under oath, on camera, on a deadline.
Sources: Reuters / Associated Press (December 11 order, canceled October deposition, BBC apology and defamation denial); CNN (hearing quotes, Mar-a-Lago subpoena, 47 subpoenas, video ruling, December 18 discovery end); Bloomberg Law (missed earlier date, sanction threat); LawLova ($5B + $5B claim split, November 2 Smith deadline). The deposition deadline could still move if the district court extends discovery.