The order was issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett. Trump's lawyers had requested that the deposition take place between Jan. 11 and Jan. 22, 2027, according to CNBC. The ruling therefore sets a deadline before the period described in that request.
The scheduling dispute came after the BBC accused Trump of delaying or seeking to postpone his deposition. BBC lawyer Charles Tobin said the broadcaster had not yet been able to depose Trump, according to reporting by the South China Morning Post and Euronews.
Trump's lawsuit alleges that a BBC documentary defamed him by splicing together separate portions of his speech to supporters before the Capitol attack, creating what his case describes as a misleading presentation. He filed the lawsuit against the BBC in December.
The amount sought is reported inconsistently. Several supplied reports characterize the lawsuit as seeking approximately $10 billion in damages, while ABC Australia Sport describes it as a $14 billion case. The discrepancy is not resolved in the available evidence.
The order establishes a deadline, but the available reports do not establish the exact date on which the deposition will occur or whether Trump will comply by Dec. 11. They also do not establish whether sanctions will ultimately be imposed.
SOURCES
- South China Morning PostJudge gives Trump deadline to sit for deposition in BBC defamation suit
- CNBCJudge orders Trump to sit for deposition in BBC defamation lawsuit by Dec. 11: Reports
- EuronewsJudge orders Trump to sit for a deposition in his BBC defamation lawsuit by December 11
- ABC Australia SportTrump ordered to sit for deposition in his $14bn BBC lawsuit
- The HillJudge orders Trump to be deposed in his BBC defamation suit