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Judge Orders Trump to Depose in BBC Lawsuit by Dec. 11
Confirmed
In Short: A US judge has ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by December 11.
A US judge has ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by December 11, unless the discovery period is extended.
In a ruling handed down on Thursday, US Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett said Trump must appear for the deposition by the deadline.
Trump had previously canceled a deposition scheduled for October 16, citing 'matters of national importance' while he was campaigning in Georgia.
The BBC's lawyers, Charles Tobin, said in court that they have not been able to depose the plaintiff despite two months left in the discovery period.
The broadcaster has since asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the program does not meet the legal criteria for defamation and was not available in the US.
The BBC apologized for an error in a documentary that gave the mistaken impression that Trump had called for violent action.
The discovery process began in February and is set to end on December 18.
Trump filed his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC in December over a documentary that featured spliced-together portions of a speech he gave outside the White House on January 13, 2021.
The BBC's lawyers have complained that Trump was stalling, leading to the judge's order.
Depositions typically take place in a lawyer's office without a judge physically present and are recorded for use in later proceedings.
What this adds
The judge's order includes the possibility of sanctions, including dismissal of the lawsuit, if Trump fails to comply by the deadline.
What's confirmed
- Trump cancelled a previous deposition on 16 October, citing "matters of national importance" while he was campaigning in Georgia.
- Charles Tobin, a lawyer representing the BBC, said in court that "we still haven't been able to depose the plaintiff" with two months left in the discovery period.
- October 22, 2026 / 12:46 PM EDT / CBS News Washington — A federal judge said President Trump must sit for a deposition with lawyers for the BBC by Dec. 11 as part of his ongoing defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster.
- Donald Trump has been ordered by a judge to sit for a deposition by December as part of his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC.
- President Donald Trump must sit for a deposition in his lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11, a federal judge ruled Thursday.
- President Donald Trump must sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, according to a report.
- “By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two Congressional subpoenas. Black gave Jeffrey Epstein over $180 million over six years. He funded Epstein's abuse and trafficking of women. Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault. His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable. We must hold him in contempt immediately.” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.
What's still developing
- In a separate filing on Wednesday, Trump's lawyers said that the president could appear for the interview between 11 and 22 January next year, and claimed that the BBC was "wrong to claim that President Trump is avoiding his deposition in this action."
- In US law, a deposition is an out-of-court statement made under oath in response to questions, which is recorded for use in later proceedings.
- They also said Smith's testimony would be "duplicative," since he authored a final report on his investigation and testified twice to Congress about his case against Mr. Trump.
- Throughout Wednesday’s hourlong debate, Crowley frequently linked Tiffany to Trump and his policies — including the “big, beautiful bill,” tariffs and the war with Iran — that he said have raised prices in the state and nationally.
- Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is facing a new federal civil lawsuit filed by two women who accuse him and two associates of taking part in a sex-trafficking scheme involving young women, drugs, and interstate travel.
- Instead, he filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block subpoenas issued as part of the panel's probe into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
- Soon after he left, the committee's chair, Kentucky Rep. James Comer, announced a pair of subpoenas demanding Black return for a sworn, videotaped deposition and turn over information related to the nondisclosure agreements.
- Julia Molchanova, left, Anouska De Georgiou, center, and New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez speak at a news conference where Torrez announced a lawsuit against the co-executors of Jeffrey Epstein's estate, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Albuquerque, N.M.