Judge Orders Trump to Sit for BBC Defamation Deposition
Source reports published 22 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 23 Oct 2026, 3:40 am AEST
A US judge has ordered Donald Trump to participate in a deposition as part of his $14 billion lawsuit against the BBC. The order, issued by Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett, sets a deadline of December 11 for Trump to answer questions under oath.
What happened
- A US judge, Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett, ordered Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by December 11.
- This follows previous delays caused by Trump prioritizing campaign events, specifically a rally in Georgia on October 16th, as stated by BBC attorney Charles Tobin.
- The lawsuit stems from the BBC’s airing of a Panorama documentary that spliced together segments of a speech Trump gave to supporters before the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which it is suggested was designed to be misleading.
- The BBC’s legal team, led by Charles Tobin, expressed frustration over the lack of progress in obtaining a deposition.
- Judge Lett stated that Trump must comply with the order or face potential sanctions, including dismissal of the lawsuit, unless the discovery period is extended beyond December 18.
- The discovery period is scheduled to end on December 18, and the BBC’s lawyers are seeking to secure the deposition before this deadline.
- Trump’s lawyers have proposed a deposition window between January 11 and 22 of next year.
Original reporting
- ABC: Trump ordered to sit for deposition in his $14b BBC lawsuit
2026-10-22T17:14:25+00:00 - BBC: Trump ordered to answer questions under oath in BBC lawsuit
2026-10-22T16:24:14.165000+00:00 - Guardian: US judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in $10bn lawsuit against BBC
2026-10-22T00:00:00+00:00 - PBS NewsHour: Judge orders Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11
2026-10-22T17:40:42+00:00 - CBS News: Judge in Miami says Trump must sit for deposition in BBC defamation lawsuit by Dec. 11
2026-10-22T16:46:00+00:00 - South China Morning Post: Judge gives Trump deadline to sit for deposition in BBC defamation suit
2026-10-22T16:40:56+00:00