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A federal judge in Florida has ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The lawsuit stems from a documentary that allegedly misrepresented Trump's speech before the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot. The order follows accusations from the BBC that Trump is stalling after canceling a planned deposition earlier this month, citing a "matter of national importance."
U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order after the BBC's lawyers argued that Trump was improperly delaying his appearance. According to Axios, the BBC claims Trump was campaigning in Georgia on October 16, the day he was supposed to be deposed.
The BBC's attorney, Charles Tobin, told the judge that Trump prioritized political activities over the deposition, as reported by NBC News. The BBC has accused Trump of trying to delay the deposition until January, which would hinder the discovery process set to close on December 18.
Trump's lawsuit, filed in Florida last December, accuses the BBC of defamation and unfair trade practices, seeking $5 billion for each claim. The lawsuit alleges that the BBC's Panorama documentary, titled Trump: A Second Chance?, edited his January 6 speech to falsely suggest he encouraged the Capitol attack. The BBC has apologized for the edit but denies defamation, seeking to have the case dismissed.
Judge Lett warned that failure to comply with the order could result in sanctions, including the dismissal of Trump's lawsuit. The BBC's mid-October filing emphasized the need for Trump's deposition to proceed with their defense, as noted by Newsweek.