# Judge gives Trump Dec. 11 deadline for deposition in BBC lawsuit

A federal magistrate judge warned that missing the deadline could bring sanctions, potentially including dismissal, as the parties dispute discovery in the president's $10 billion case.

By The Signal Edition | U.S. / Courts
Published: 2026-10-22T18:14:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-22T18:14:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/jtbs8k-judge-trump-bbc-deposition
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/ff398eba6502af9421813ca5fbfa0f40.avif (Security guards stand outside BBC Broadcasting House in London in November 2025.; credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth via Courthouse News Service)

## Summary
- U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett directed President Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in his lawsuit against the BBC.
- The judge warned of possible sanctions, up to dismissal of the suit, if he does not comply under the current discovery schedule.
- The BBC alleges delay after an agreed Oct. 16 date was canceled; Trump's lawyers cite presidential duties, security and scheduling needs.

## The court's deadline

A federal magistrate judge in Miami said Thursday that President Donald Trump must sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in the $10 billion civil lawsuit he brought against the BBC. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett set the deadline during a discovery hearing, according to reporters who covered the proceedings. A deposition would allow the broadcaster's lawyers to question Trump under oath about claims he chose to litigate. The order concerns evidence-gathering; it does not decide whether the BBC defamed him. [1](https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-media-defamation-0a26fa60b265f55a9bcf7ed88cfacab8) [2](https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-orders-trump-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-case/)

Lett warned that failure to appear under the present schedule could trigger sanctions as serious as dismissal of Trump's lawsuit, not that dismissal has already occurred or is automatic. The deposition deadline comes a week before discovery is scheduled to close on Dec. 18. AP reported that the presiding district judge, rather than Lett, would have to change the case's broader trial schedule; an extension of discovery could alter the practical deadline. [1](https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-media-defamation-0a26fa60b265f55a9bcf7ed88cfacab8) [2](https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-orders-trump-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-case/)

## Why the date was contested

The parties had agreed to an Oct. 16 deposition, but Trump's counsel withdrew that date in late September, citing other matters of national importance, according to the BBC's Oct. 13 motion. The broadcaster said it had repeatedly sought a replacement and that Trump's team proposed the second or third week of January 2027, after the scheduled discovery cutoff. BBC lawyer Charles Tobin argued at Thursday's hearing that Trump had instead campaigned in Georgia on the canceled date. That is the broadcaster's allegation, not a finding that the president acted in bad faith. [1](https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-media-defamation-0a26fa60b265f55a9bcf7ed88cfacab8) [3](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/trump-v-bbc-motion-to-compel.pdf)

Trump's Oct. 21 response denies that he was avoiding a deposition. His lawyers argued that presidential responsibilities and security make the scheduling unusual, and cited the conflict in Iran, other Middle East unrest, the Russia-Ukraine war and other government matters. They also accused the BBC of cutting short discussions and filing its request prematurely. Lett nevertheless imposed a date within the existing discovery window. [2](https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-orders-trump-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-case/) [4](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/trump-v-bbc-discovery-response.pdf)

## What the lawsuit alleges

Trump filed the case in December 2025 over a BBC Panorama documentary that spliced together separate passages from his Jan. 6, 2021, speech before the attack on the U.S. Capitol. He alleges the edit falsely conveyed that he directly urged supporters to commit violence and asserts defamation and a Florida deceptive-trade-practices claim. The BBC acknowledged the misleading edit and apologized, but denies legal liability for defamation. Its apology is not an admission that Trump's civil claims are proved. [1](https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-media-defamation-0a26fa60b265f55a9bcf7ed88cfacab8) [2](https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-orders-trump-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-case/) [3](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/trump-v-bbc-motion-to-compel.pdf)

The discovery dispute matters because Trump's own account, his claimed reputational harm and related evidence are central to the case. The BBC's filed motion said it had already taken seven depositions of BBC witnesses but had not obtained Trump's testimony. At the hearing, Lett also rejected a request to prohibit video recording of Trump's deposition, according to Courthouse News; the Guardian reported that the recording would be accessible only to the case's lawyers. [2](https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-orders-trump-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-case/) [3](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/trump-v-bbc-motion-to-compel.pdf) [5](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/22/trump-bbc-lawsuit-deposition-discovery)

## What comes next

The immediate question is whether the parties arrange a secure deposition before Dec. 11 or seek a schedule change from the district judge. The BBC also subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith, which Trump's lawyers opposed on grounds that he lacks first-hand knowledge of Trump's speech or state of mind. AP reported no immediate ruling on that separate dispute at the time of its report. Neither the deposition order nor the outstanding discovery fights resolve the merits of the $10 billion claim. [1](https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-media-defamation-0a26fa60b265f55a9bcf7ed88cfacab8) [2](https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-orders-trump-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-case/)

## Reporting sources
1. [Associated Press: Judge orders Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11](https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-media-defamation-0a26fa60b265f55a9bcf7ed88cfacab8) (2026-10-22)
2. [Courthouse News Service: Judge orders Trump deposition in BBC defamation case](https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-orders-trump-deposition-in-bbc-defamation-case/) (2026-10-22)
3. [U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida (BBC filing): Motion for Discovery Hearing Related to Compelling Plaintiff's Deposition, ECF No. 181](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/trump-v-bbc-motion-to-compel.pdf) (2026-10-13)
4. [U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida (Trump filing): Plaintiff's Response in Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Discovery Hearing, ECF No. 192](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/trump-v-bbc-discovery-response.pdf) (2026-10-21)
5. [The Guardian: US judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in $10bn lawsuit against BBC](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/22/trump-bbc-lawsuit-deposition-discovery) (2026-10-22)