Former President Donald Trump has been ordered to provide sworn testimony in a defamation lawsuit he filed against the BBC or risk having the case dismissed. The magistrate overseeing the case, Enjoliqué Lett, set a deadline of December 11 for Trump to sit for a deposition, unless the discovery period is extended beyond December 18.

Trump initiated the $10 billion lawsuit in December 2025, alleging that the BBC had maliciously edited a January 6, 2021 speech to falsely depict him as encouraging violence ahead of the Capitol riot. The edited footage was broadcast in the week leading up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. While the BBC issued an apology stating that it unintentionally created the impression of a continuous segment rather than excerpts from different parts of the speech, the broadcaster denies any defamation. It is also seeking dismissal of the case, citing concerns about its potential chilling effect on vigorous journalism involving public figures and events.

Trump was originally scheduled to give his deposition last Friday, but his legal team cited “matters of national importance” to excuse his attendance, asserting he would not be available until at least January. The BBC, through its legal representative Charles Tobin, countered that Trump was actively engaged in campaigning in Georgia at the time and prioritizing political activities over the deposition.

The lawsuit also faces a jurisdictional challenge from the BBC, which contends that a Florida court does not have authority over the matter since the contested programme was never broadcast in the United States. The court’s ruling requiring Trump’s deposition underscores the ongoing procedural disputes in the case as both parties prepare for further developments ahead of the 2024 election.