MIAMI, FLORIDA — October 22, 2026. President Donald Trump must answer questions under oath in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC by December 11, a federal judge ruled Thursday. The decision creates a critical deadline in the president’s legal battle with the British broadcaster, with the court warning that failure to comply could result in sanctions, potentially including dismissal of the case.
The ruling follows weeks of disagreements over Trump’s availability for questioning. BBC attorneys accused the president of postponing a previously scheduled deposition and attempting to move his testimony beyond the current discovery deadline. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett ordered Trump to appear before December 11 unless the litigation schedule is extended by the judge overseeing the broader case.
JUDGE SETS DEADLINE AFTER DISPUTE OVER TRUMP’S DEPOSITION
The disagreement centers on an October 16 deposition that both legal teams had previously accepted. Trump’s attorneys canceled the appointment, citing matters of national importance. However, BBC lawyer Charles Tobin told the court that Trump spent part of that day campaigning in Georgia, arguing that political activities had been prioritized over the legal proceedings. The broadcaster subsequently sought a court order requiring the president’s testimony.
The BBC contends that Trump’s repeated scheduling delays have prevented its lawyers from obtaining essential evidence before discovery closes on December 18. Trump’s legal team has cited scheduling demands associated with the presidency. Judge Lett ruled that the deposition must proceed by December 11 under the existing schedule, warning that noncompliance could carry serious consequences. Any decision to extend the case timetable rests with the presiding judge.
WHY TRUMP IS SUING THE BBC FOR $10 BILLION
Trump filed the lawsuit in December 2025, alleging that the BBC damaged his reputation through a documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance.” The program included edited footage of his January 6, 2021, speech before supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Trump’s lawsuit argues that combining statements recorded at different moments created a misleading impression that he had directly encouraged violence.
The BBC acknowledged that the editing was misleading and issued an apology. The controversy contributed to the departures of the broadcaster’s director-general and senior news executive. However, the organization maintains that the editing does not establish legal defamation and disputes Trump’s allegations of reputational and financial harm. The case remains a civil lawsuit, and the court has not determined whether the BBC is legally liable.
JACK SMITH’S TESTIMONY BECOMES ANOTHER LEGAL BATTLEGROUND
Another dispute involves former special counsel Jack Smith, whose federal investigation examined Trump’s conduct surrounding the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 attack. BBC attorneys have sought Smith’s sworn testimony, arguing that his investigative work could provide relevant evidence for their defense.
Trump’s lawyers oppose the request, arguing that Smith was not personally present when the president delivered the speech and lacks firsthand knowledge of his intentions. They maintain that his publicly available reports and prior testimony already contain the relevant information. BBC attorneys disagree and contend that a deposition could identify additional evidence. No final ruling on Smith’s proposed deposition had been announced in the initial October 22 hearing reports.
MAR-A-LAGO MEMBERSHIP RECORDS ENTER THE DISPUTE
The financial implications of Trump’s lawsuit have also become a contested issue. The judge agreed that BBC lawyers could review certain membership information from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, including application totals and membership fees covering January 2020 through January 2026.
The broadcaster argues that the resort’s popularity could be relevant when assessing the president’s claim that the documentary damaged his reputation. Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito challenged that connection, arguing that the president does not personally manage the club and that its membership records are not an appropriate measure of reputational harm.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN TRUMP’S BBC LAWSUIT?
The next major deadline is December 11, when Trump must complete his deposition unless the schedule changes. The existing discovery period ends one week later, on December 18. Failure to comply could prompt sanctions, but no dismissal or other penalty has been imposed.
The litigation now involves several unresolved issues: whether Trump will testify under the current schedule, whether Jack Smith can be questioned and how evidence concerning the president’s reputation will be evaluated. The central defamation claims also remain undecided. The upcoming proceedings will determine whether the lawsuit advances under its existing timetable or faces further procedural changes.
