US Judge Orders Trump to Give Deposition in BBC Defamation Case by December 11

A United States federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) by December 11.

US Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order during a hearing on Thursday, ruling that Trump could not delay questioning by the BBC’s lawyers, the Associated Press (AP) reports.

Trump had cancelled a previously scheduled deposition on October 16, citing a “matter of national importance.”

However, the BBC’s legal team told the court that the president was campaigning in Georgia ahead of the midterm elections on the day he was expected to appear for questioning.

BBC attorney Charles Tobin said the legal team had yet to depose Trump, despite having only about two months remaining in the discovery phase of the case.

“He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” Tobin told the AP.

The judge also cautioned Trump’s lawyers that failure to comply with court orders requiring the disclosure of relevant records could lead to the dismissal of the lawsuit.

Trump could face sanctions, including the dismissal of his case, if he fails to appear for a deposition before the December 11 deadline. An extension of the discovery period beyond December 18 could provide additional time.

The lawsuit centres on a 2024 BBC documentary about the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

Trump alleges that the broadcaster deceptively edited footage of his speech to make it appear that he encouraged supporters to use violence in an attempt to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

The BBC has denied Trump’s allegations.

The case will determine whether Trump’s claims of defamation against the broadcaster can be established in court.