Judge Sets December 11 Deadline for Trump to Testify in Lawsuit Against BBC

A federal judge in Miami has mandated that former President Donald Trump provide a sworn deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. This follows the abrupt cancellation of a previously scheduled deposition on October 16.

According to EFE, Judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett conducted a hearing and established the new deadline after Trump's legal team canceled the prior session, citing "matters of national importance."

In response, representatives from the British broadcaster pointed out that Trump was campaigning in Georgia for the upcoming November legislative elections and later attended a fundraising event at his Mar-a-Lago residence on that date.

BBC's attorney, Chuck Tobin, argued in court that Trump had prioritized "partisan politics" over his court obligations. In contrast, Trump's lawyer, Alejandro Brito, refuted this interpretation, stating that suggesting these two events were his only commitments that day "insults intelligence."

Judge Lett went beyond setting a deadline, warning that the lawsuit could be dismissed if Trump fails to comply with evidence submission. "The process of gathering evidence is burdensome, but it is a responsibility we take on, especially when we file a lawsuit," she told his attorneys.

Lett further expressed skepticism regarding the diligence of Trump's legal team, stating, "I tend to agree with the defense that it is hard to believe a thorough search has been conducted to ensure all requests have been met."

The judge also denied their motion to prevent the recording of Trump's deposition on video, though she ruled that only the case's attorneys would have access to the footage.

Additionally, she ordered Trump to provide six years' worth of Mar-a-Lago membership records requested by the BBC to verify the alleged damage to his professional reputation.

The deposition Trump is required to attend is a formal interrogation as part of the evidence collection process.

Both Judge Lett and the involved parties acknowledged that the date might be postponed again if Judge Jeffrey Kuntz, overseeing the broader case schedule, extends the current evidence-gathering deadline of December 18.

In December 2025, Trump filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Southern Florida, accusing the BBC of "maliciously" editing a documentary aired days before the November 2024 presidential elections.

The program combined two parts of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, outside the White House—separated by over 50 minutes in the original—to create the impression that he directly encouraged his followers to march to the Capitol and "fight like hell." The lawsuit seeks $5 billion for defamation and another $5 billion for violating a Florida law on deceptive trade practices.

The network admitted the editing was a "misjudgment," and its president, Samir Shah, sent a letter of apology in November 2025. However, the corporation denied that the mistake constituted defamation and announced its intention to defend itself in court.

In August of this year, Trump amended the lawsuit to focus on the alleged personal reputational damage, rather than business-related harm, seemingly to limit the financial information the BBC could demand.

The discovery process has been particularly contentious, with the BBC issuing at least 47 subpoenas to current and former government officials, as well as private advisors in Trump's circle, including Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and former White House legal advisor Pat Cipollone.

The trial is scheduled to commence on February 15, 2027.