A federal judge in Florida has ordered President Donald Trump to provide testimony by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC.
U. S.
Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, after the broadcaster's legal team complained that Trump had delayed a scheduled deposition.
The order warns that failure to comply could result in dismissal of the case.
BBC Challenges Trump's Reason for Missing Deposition
The ruling came after Trump canceled a deposition set for Oct. 16, citing a matter of national importance.
BBC attorney Charles Tobin disputed that explanation, telling the judge the event Trump attended was a political rally and a fundraiser.
"He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition," Tobin said.
The BBC's legal team argued that attending the political events instead of appearing for testimony amounted to a delay in the proceedings.
Judge Lett's order sets a new deadline and repeats the warning that the lawsuit could be dismissed if Trump does not comply.
NBC News said it had contacted the BBC for comment, while the White House referred a request for comment without further details provided in the source article.
Trump filed the lawsuit against the BBC last year, accusing the British news organization of defamation over its editing of a documentary featuring his speech at the Ellipse before the Jan.
6, 2021, attack on the U. S.
Capitol.
In the complaint, Trump alleged the documentary spliced together separate portions of the speech to present a misleading portrayal of his remarks.
He described the depiction as a "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction" of him.
The case centers on how the documentary presented Trump's Jan. 6 speech and whether the BBC's editing amounted to defamation.
Under the latest order, Trump must appear for questioning by Dec. 11 or risk dismissal of the $10 billion action.
