Judge Threatens Sanctions Against Trump Over Delayed Deposition in $10 Billion BBC Lawsuit

A federal magistrate judge has threatened sanctions against President Donald Trump after his legal team canceled a planned deposition in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, with the broadcaster telling the court that Trump would not be available to testify until next year, Alison Durkee reported for Forbes.

President Donald Trump faces a court warning over his delayed deposition in a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. [Photo: Ben Sutherland Flickr]

Magistrate Judge Enjolique A. Lett issued an order directing Trump to respond to the BBC’s concerns about the deposition by October 22. The judge noted that the court had previously admonished the president over what it described as a lack of participation in the case.

Lett warned that failure to comply strictly with the court’s discovery schedule would lead to sanctions.

Trump filed the lawsuit against the BBC over the broadcaster’s editing of footage of his January 6, 2021, speech.

 His complaint alleges that a BBC documentary, broadcast in 2024, edited portions of the speech in a way that falsely suggested he was encouraging violence and misled viewers ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

The BBC has acknowledged problems with the editing and apologized, but it denies that the documentary defamed Trump.

As part of the discovery process, during which both sides gather evidence before trial, the BBC has sought to question Trump under oath.

Trump’s lawyers subsequently said he could not attend because of other matters of national importance. They proposed that he be available in January 2027, although the case’s discovery period is scheduled to conclude in December.

The proposed delay prompted the BBC to seek court intervention, arguing that Trump should be required to participate in the deposition within the existing schedule.

The judge’s warning does not mean sanctions have already been imposed. The court’s next steps will depend on the parties’ submissions and whether Trump complies with the court’s directions.