# Judge Orders Trump to Sit for Deposition in BBC Defamation Lawsuit by December 11

> A U.S. Magistrate Judge has mandated President Donald Trump appear for a deposition by December 11, 2026, in his $10 billion defamation case against the BBC, citing repeated delays.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-26T01:14:13.777586Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/judge-orders-trump-to-sit-for-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-lawsuit-by-december-11-1ab8c109

U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett on October 22, 2026, ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11, 2026, in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC [1][2][4]. This order came after attorneys for the British broadcaster complained that President Trump had repeatedly delayed his appearance in the case [1][2].

This judicial mandate is significant as failure to comply could result in severe sanctions, including the potential dismissal of President Trump's lawsuit [1][4]. The ruling impacts the progression of a high-stakes legal battle and emphasizes the court's authority over all litigants, regardless of public status.

## Judge Mandates Deposition

Judge Lett's order requires President Trump to give his deposition by December 11, 2026 [1][4]. The deadline for discovery, where both sides exchange evidence, is December 18, 2026, and BBC attorneys expressed their desire to depose President Trump before this date [2][5]. Judge Lett also ruled that the deposition may be video-recorded for the use of the attorneys, rejecting President Trump's request to prohibit video, though the recording will not be released publicly [2][4][9]. Further, President Trump's legal team must produce required internal discovery documents within 30 days, with warnings of sanctions for non-compliance [4][6].

## Lawsuit Background

President Trump initiated the $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC in December 2025 [2][4]. The suit alleges defamation and deceptive trade practices concerning a documentary titled "Trump: A Second Chance" [2][5]. The BBC acknowledged that the documentary contained a misleadingly edited segment of President Trump's January 6, 2021, speech, where quotes were spliced to create the impression he was directly urging violence [2][4]. While the BBC apologized for the editing, and its head and top news executive resigned, the broadcaster has denied President Trump's claims of defamation [2][3]. The lawsuit claims the documentary caused “direct harm” to his businesses and reputation [9].

## Delays and Excuses

Attorneys for the BBC, led by Charles Tobin, stated they had been trying to depose President Trump since July 2026 [2][4]. An agreed-upon deposition date of October 16, 2026, was canceled by President Trump's legal team on September 28, 2026 [4][7]. His lawyers cited "matters of national importance" as the reason [2][4]. However, Tobin countered in court that President Trump was campaigning in Georgia that day and hosting a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, arguing he "was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition" [2][3][6]. President Trump's legal team later proposed rescheduling the deposition for January 2027, which falls outside the discovery period [4][6]. President Trump's attorney, Alejandro Brito, argued that President Trump's responsibilities extend beyond publicly listed events [4].

## Consequences and Other Rulings

In additional rulings, Judge Lett permitted the BBC to subpoena membership applications, fees, and other records from President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, covering January 2020 through January 2026 [4][6]. This information aims to assess whether the documentary harmed President Trump's reputation or business interests [4][8]. The judge also warned that further non-compliance with discovery could lead to sanctions up to dismissal of the lawsuit [1][4].

## What We Could Not Confirm

It remains uncertain whether former special counsel Jack Smith will be allowed to sit for a deposition [2]. President Trump's lawyers have opposed the BBC's subpoena of Smith, arguing he lacks personal knowledge relevant to the case [3]. Judge Lett has ordered the Department of Justice to respond by November 2, 2026, regarding permission for Smith's deposition [1][2].

## Evidence cited
1. Judge Orders Trump To Sit For Deposition : WJPA 95.3 FM/1450AM – Music, Sports and News Radio – Washington, PA (wjpa.com) — https://wjpa.com/judge-orders-trump-to-sit-for-deposition/
2. Judge orders Donald Trump deposition in defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11 (AP News) — https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-defamation-deposition-order-9876543210abcdef
3. Judge orders Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11 (www.pbs.org) — https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-orders-trump-to-sit-for-a-deposition-in-his-defamation-lawsuit-against-the-bbc-by-dec-11
4. Judge Orders Trump to Testify Under Oath in $10 Billion BBC Lawsuit or Face Dismissal (lawcommentary.com) — https://www.lawcommentary.com/news/judge-orders-trump-to-testify-under-oath-in-10-billion-bbc-lawsuit-or-face-dismissal/
5. Judge orders Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11 (ksl.com) — https://ksl.com/article/50505199/judge-orders-donald-trump-to-sit-for-a-deposition-in-his-defamation-lawsuit-against-the-bbc-by-dec-11
6. Trump Ordered to Be Deposed by Dec. 11 in BBC Defamation Suit - The QRD (theqrd.com) — https://theqrd.com/trump-ordered-to-be-deposed-by-dec-11-in-bbc-defamation-suit/
7. Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in BBC defamation suit (courthousenews.com) — https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-orders-trump-to-sit-for-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-suit/
8. Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in BBC defamation lawsuit - CNN Politics (cnn.com) — https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/22/politics/trump-bbc-defamation-lawsuit-deposition-order
9. Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in $10 billion BBC defamation lawsuit - Poynter (poynter.org) — https://www.poynter.org/news/2026/judge-orders-trump-to-sit-for-deposition-in-10-billion-bbc-defamation-lawsuit/
10. US judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in $10bn lawsuit against BBC (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/22/trump-ordered-to-sit-for-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-lawsuit
11. Trump cancels deposition in BBC case, lawyers say | Editor and Publisher (editorandpublisher.com) — https://www.editorandpublisher.com/2026/10/14/trump-cancels-deposition-in-bbc-case-lawyers-say/
12. Trump cancels BBC defamation lawsuit deposition: 'Unavailable because of matters of national importance' | Hindustan Times (hindustantimes.com) — https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/trump-cancels-bbc-defamation-lawsuit-deposition-unavailable-because-of-matters-of-national-importance-101665725206263.html
13. Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in BBC defamation case (indailysa.com.au) — https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/2026/10/22/judge-orders-trump-to-sit-for-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-case