Judge sets deadline for Trump deposition in BBC trial

A Florida-based federal judge on Thursday mandated that President Donald Trump give a deposition within the next two months in the $10 billion defamation lawsuit he brought last year against the British Broadcasting Corporation, or the BBC. Trump accused the U.K.-based news organization of defaming him in a BBC Panorama series documentary about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump claimed the BBC pieced together footage from his speech to supporters at a rally on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., that made it seem as though he called for them to attack the Capitol. Trump also accused the news outlet of attempting to interfere in the 2024 election by releasing the documentary a week before Election Day.

Despite bringing the case himself, Trump has avoided sitting for a deposition. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett has now ordered that deposition to take place before Dec. 11. Trump canceled a deposition scheduled for last week, citing an unnamed matter of national consequence. BBC’s attorneys argued that the president was intentionally stalling, while Trump’s attorneys argued that the BBC did not appreciate Trump’s unique leadership role.

What happens if Trump refuses? Lett may dismiss Trump’s case if he is not deposed before Dec. 11, according to the Associated Press.