In brief
A U.S. magistrate has ordered former President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition under oath in his lawsuit against the BBC, setting a deadline of 11 December 2026. The case centers on a Panorama program that edited a speech Trump gave before the January 6 Capitol riot, leading the broadcaster to apologize for portraying him as calling for violent action. Trump’s legal team previously cancelled a depositions citing "matters of national importance" while he campaigned in Georgia, but the judge brushed off the excuse. The lawsuit alleges the BBC intentionally and maliciously doctored the footage, an assertion the BBC denies and seeks to have dismissed. With the defense arguing the program did not meet U.S. defamation standards and wasn’t available in the U.S., Trump has now agreed to drop the suit against BBC Studios.
Judge orders Trump to answer questions under oath in BBC lawsuit
A U.S. magistrate has set a deadline of 11 December 2026 for former President Donald Trump to answer court questions under oath in his defamation suit against the BBC.
The lawsuit centers on a Panorama episode that edited together separate sections of Trump’s speech given outside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, creating a perception that he urged violence. Trump’s lawyers say the broadcaster “intentionally, maliciously and deceptively” doctored the footage.
Trump previously cancelled a scheduled deposition on 16 October, citing "matters of national importance" while campaigning in Georgia. The judge dismissed that excuse, ordering the testimony by the end of the discovery period unless the deadline is extended.
The court noted that Trump had appeared at a campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, and a fundraiser at Mar‑a‑Lago the same day the deposition was missed.
The BBC has issued an apology, admitting the program gave the mistaken impression that Trump called for violence. In July, Trump’s team conceded that they had no proof the documentary was available in the U.S. on any BBC platform.
The broadcaster has petitioned to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the programme does not meet U.S. defamation law and was not broadcast there. Trump has since agreed to drop the suit against BBC Studios, citing the company’s lack of involvement in creating the documentary.
