Judge Threatens Sanctions After Trump Backs Out of BBC Deposition
A federal judge warns President Trump of sanctions after he refuses a deposition in his $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC.
NASA/Bill Ingalls/NASA
Federal Magistrate Judge Enjolique A. Lett threatened President Donald Trump with sanctions Friday after the president declined to participate in a scheduled deposition tied to his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The BBC accused Trump of backing out of the deposition and indicated he would not be available to testify until January 2027, well past the court’s discovery deadline.
Judge Orders Trump to Respond by October 22
Judge Lett issued an order directing President Trump to file a response to the BBC regarding his deposition by October 22. The judge noted that previous court admonitions regarding the president’s “lack of participation” in the case had been ignored. Lett warned that failure to strictly comply with the court’s discovery timeline would result in sanctions.
The discovery phase, where both parties gather evidence, is crucial to progressing the case. Trump’s refusal to participate threatens to derail the schedule, as discovery is set to conclude in December.
Details of the Defamation Lawsuit Against the BBC
President Trump filed the defamation suit against the BBC in December over a 2024 “Panorama” documentary aired in the U.K. The documentary featured a Jan. 6, 2021 speech by Trump, which the president alleges was deceptively edited to imply he incited violence at the Capitol riots and to influence the 2024 election against him.
Specifically, the BBC’s documentary edited Trump’s speech to suggest he called for violent action on Jan. 6, while Trump contends the edits were misleading. The BBC has apologized for the editing but denies the allegations were defamatory. Initially, Trump claimed the edits harmed his businesses, but the lawsuit now focuses solely on reputational damage.
BBC Pushes for Deposition and Court Intervention
The BBC sought to depose Trump as part of discovery and had scheduled the deposition for Friday. However, Trump’s team first delayed coordination and then informed the BBC that the president would be unavailable due to “other matters of national importance” until January 2027 at the earliest.
In its filing, the BBC asserted the court had to repeatedly intervene to secure Trump’s participation, quoting that it is “not the court’s role, nor that of opposing counsel, to drag a party kicking and screaming through the discovery process,” especially when Trump initiated the lawsuit.
The court agreed to discuss the deposition issue at a hearing on October 22. It is yet to be seen whether sanctions will be imposed and what form they may take.
Additional Depositions and Subpoenas in the Case
The BBC is also seeking testimony from Trump’s children Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, as well as son-in-law Jared Kushner, who allegedly have personal knowledge regarding Trump’s intentions behind his Jan. 6 speech. The broadcaster encountered difficulties serving subpoenas due to Secret Service protection but was granted permission in October to serve them via alternate methods.
Meanwhile, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who testified before Congress about Jan. 6, successfully had her subpoena quashed by the court, which found her testimony irrelevant and potentially oppressive.
Trump’s legal team has not publicly responded to the threat of sanctions but maintains in a statement to Forbes that the lawsuit holds the BBC accountable for defamation and election interference.
The unfolding legal battle continues to highlight tensions around discovery compliance and the high stakes of the $10 billion defamation claim.
As the October 22 hearing approaches, all eyes remain on whether President Trump will comply with court orders or face penalties for his lack of participation in this high-profile lawsuit.
