Judge orders Trump deposed by December 11 in BBC suit

A federal magistrate judge in Miami on Thursday ordered President Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, rejecting his lawyers' proposal to wait until January.

Why it matters: The order puts a sitting president under oath in a case he brought himself, and the judge's warning that the complaint could be dismissed if his side keeps withholding records raises the cost of the delays his lawyers have sought.

Data as of Axios and CNBC reports of the Thursday, October 22, 2026 hearing, read in full; the December 11 deadline, the January window his lawyers proposed and the dismissal warning are as both outlets reported them. The court order itself was not read. Developing item.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett ordered President Trump on Thursday to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, after BBC lawyers argued he was delaying his appearance. His lawyers had proposed January 11 to 22, 2027, saying presidential duties prevented an earlier date, and Lett also warned that the complaint could be dismissed if Trump does not comply with orders to hand the BBC’s lawyers records relevant to the suit.

Trump was first scheduled to be deposed on October 16 and canceled, with his lawyers citing matters affecting national security and the economy. The BBC’s lawyers told the judge he spent that day campaigning in Georgia. The suit, filed last December, claims a BBC Panorama documentary, “Trump: A Second Chance,” spliced clips of his January 6, 2021 speech to make it appear he had directly called for violent action; the BBC has apologized for the edit, said the programme will not air again, and maintains there is no basis for a defamation claim.

Judge orders Trump deposed by December 11 in BBC suit

Sources