A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, warning that failure to comply could result in sanctions or dismissal of the case.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order after BBC lawyers complained that Trump had delayed his appearance. Attorney Charles Tobin noted an agreed-upon date of October 16 was canceled for a “matter of national importance.” Tobin said Trump was instead campaigning in Georgia that day and “prioritized that over sitting for the deposition.”
Trump filed the suit last December, accusing the BBC of defamation and deceptive trade practices over its documentary “Trump: A Second Chance.” The network acknowledged splicing together quotes from different sections of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech to make it appear he was directly urging violence. It apologized and saw its director-general and top news executive resign, but continues to deny defamation.
The hearing also covered the BBC’s subpoena of former special counsel Jack Smith. Trump’s lawyers argued Smith has no personal knowledge of the speech or Trump’s state of mind and that his testimony would be duplicative. The BBC countered that Smith is among the most authoritative sources on the events of January 6.
