Politics
A U.S. judge has ordered President Donald Trump to provide sworn testimony by December 11, 2026, in his defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
A U.S. judge has ordered President Donald Trump to provide sworn testimony by December 11, 2026, in his defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). According to international media reports, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anjelica Lett issued the order during a hearing on October 22. BBC lawyers argued that approximately two months remained before the deadline for completing discovery in the case, but they had still been unable to depose Trump. According to BBC attorney Charles Tobin, Trump had initially agreed to give his deposition on October 16 but later postponed it, citing matters of national importance. BBC lawyers told the court that Trump was attending campaign-related activities in Georgia that day.
The court warned that failure to provide testimony by the deadline could lead to legal consequences, including the possibility of dismissal of the case, unless the discovery period is extended. Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC in December 2025. He alleges that the broadcaster's documentary, Trump: A Second Chance, edited different sections of his January 6, 2021, speech in a way that misleadingly suggested he had encouraged his supporters to commit violence.
The BBC acknowledged that combining separate portions of the speech could have created a misleading impression and issued an apology. However, it has rejected Trump's defamation allegations and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit. The court must determine whether the documentary's editing caused legally actionable harm to Trump's reputation. Both sides are expected to present their arguments and evidence as the proceedings continues.
