Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC

A federal judge in Florida ordered President Donald Trump on Thursday to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11 or face the possibility of having his $10 billion action dismissed. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett handed down the order after the BBC’s lawyers complained that Trump was stalling. He was supposed to sit for a deposition on Oct. 16 but canceled it for a “matter of national importance.” BBC attorney Charles Tobin told Lett that was “fake news” — the matter turned out to be a political rally and a fundraiser. “He was participating in party politics and supported his candidates in the election, and he prioritized that over his obligations in this proceeding,” Tobin said.

Trump’s attorneys had proposed postponing his deposition until late January, which Tobin said was too late. Discovery in the case is supposed to close Dec. 18, and Trump is the most important witness in the case since he’s the one who claims he suffered billions of dollars in damages from the BBC’s 2024 story, Tobin said. Lett also ruled that the deposition can be videotaped — which Trump attorney Alejandro Brito argued against. Lett agreed with Brito that the deposition date could be pushed back if the district judge overseeing the case extends the deadline for discovery,