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Judge sets December 11 deadline for Trump deposition in BBC lawsuit

A federal judge has ordered President Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster.

22 October 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Judge sets December 11 deadline for Trump deposition in BBC lawsuit — Archive photoPhoto: Department for Culture, Media and Sport · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

US Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett issued the order on Thursday, directing Trump to appear for questioning as part of the discovery process in his lawsuit against the BBC. According to reports, the judge threatened possible sanctions, including dismissal of the case, if Trump fails to comply with the deadline or does not cooperate with the discovery requirements.

The defamation lawsuit stems from a BBC documentary that, according to Trump's allegations, deceptively edited his speech to supporters before the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump contends the broadcaster spliced together two pieces of his remarks made nearly an hour apart to portray him as inciting violence.

Charles Tobin, lawyer for the BBC, told the court that the broadcaster's legal team had encountered delays in deposing Trump. With two months remaining in the discovery period, Tobin stated: "we still haven't been able to depose the plaintiff." He also noted that there had been an agreed-upon date in October that was not met.

Trump's legal representatives had requested that his deposition be conducted between January 11 and January 22, according to reports. The judge's order sets the December 11 deadline instead, moving up the timetable requested by Trump's counsel.

The lawsuit carries a stated value of $10 billion, though one source reported the amount as $14 billion. The case centres on the editing practices of the BBC in the documentary and their portrayal of Trump's statements regarding the Capitol riot.

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