BBC asks a Florida judge to make Trump sit for a deposition in his $10bn suit
BBC lawyers asked a Florida federal judge to compel Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10bn suit, saying he cancelled the agreed 16 October date. A January sitting would fall after discovery closes, so the court must move either the date or the deadline.
The Board Room · Leadership desk
Timeline: December 2025, Trump sues the BBC. 28 September 2026, his counsel says he is no longer available on 16 October, the agreed deposition date. 22 October, discovery hearing before Magistrate Judge Lett. 18 December, discovery set to close; Trump's side offers January.
- 2025Trump files suit against the BBC over the Panorama edit, claim 12
- 2026Trump's counsel says he is no longer available on 16 October, claim 4
- 2026Deposition date both sides had agreed, claim 3
- 2026Discovery hearing set by Magistrate Judge Lett, claim 13
- 2026Discovery set to close; Trump's side offers January instead, claim 5
| Date | Event | Claim |
|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | Trump files suit against the BBC over the Panorama edit | 12 |
| September 28, 2026 | Trump's counsel says he is no longer available on 16 October | 4 |
| October 16, 2026 | Deposition date both sides had agreed | 3 |
| October 22, 2026 | Discovery hearing set by Magistrate Judge Lett | 13 |
| December 18, 2026 | Discovery set to close; Trump's side offers January instead | 5 |
What happened
- BBC lawyers say they first asked for deposition dates in July, followed up repeatedly, and settled with Trump's side on 16 October.
- On 28 September Trump's counsel wrote that the president was no longer available because of "other matters of national importance" and promised a new date within the week, the BBC says; none came.
- Trump's team later said he had "no availability whatsoever" before discovery closes on 18 December, the BBC says, and offered the second or third week of January.
- Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett has set a discovery hearing for 22 October that the Guardian says is likely to touch on the deposition.
- A spokesperson for Trump's legal team did not address the reasons for the delay and repeated the allegations against the BBC.
Why it matters
- Who's exposed exposure The BBC has put seven of its witnesses through depositions while the plaintiff has none scheduled, so the discovery record so far holds BBC testimony and none from Trump.
- What it limits constraint A date will not produce a deposition by itself: the BBC says it spent months trying to get a location from Trump's team, so the court has to settle where as well as when.
- Who has to decide decision Trump's lawyers face a choice before the 22 October hearing: name an earlier date and venue, or defend the January offer to the magistrate judge.
The reason Trump's lawyers gave for pulling the date is a scheduling one, and a sitting president's calendar is a real limit on when he can be questioned. The BBC's reply is procedural. Its motion reads: "Plaintiff chose to file this lawsuit and, in doing so, he accepted the obligations of civil litigation" [14]. Trump sued in December 2025 under Florida's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act over the Panorama edit [12], so the case, and the discovery schedule inside it, began with his own filing.
The BBC's stake in the date is evidentiary. Its attorney Charles D. Tobin wrote that the delays "flouted the cooperative spirit of discovery and precluded the BBC from obtaining the evidence necessary to robustly litigate its defense" [7]. The BBC has apologized for the edit but denies that it defamed Trump [11]. A defendant that concedes the edit and contests the claim leans harder on what the plaintiff says about his own case. We think that raises the value of Trump's testimony to the defence.
The motion asks for more than a date. It asks the court to compel Trump to confirm a date, to notify the BBC of a secure location and any other logistics needed for his safety, and to sit for the deposition [8].
ABC News's wire report notes that Trump voluntarily dropped a $500 million lawsuit against his former lawyer Michael Cohen in 2023, days before he was set to give a deposition [10]. That was a different case, and neither source says Trump's lawyers have answered the motion in court.
The decision falls in this quarter and the consequence in the next. A ruling at the 22 October hearing that sets a date before 18 December puts Trump's testimony inside discovery [13]. If the January offer stands, the sitting falls in the first quarter of 2027, and the close of discovery would have to move to hold it [5].
What to watch
- Whether Magistrate Judge Lett orders a deposition date before 18 December at the 22 October hearing.
- Whether Trump's lawyers file a response that gives a reason beyond "other matters of national importance".
- Whether the 18 December discovery deadline is moved to fit a January sitting.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence58
- Adoption
- Insufficient
- Hype gap
- Insufficient
- Incentives55
- Confidence62
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
The BBC is asking a federal judge in Florida to force Donald Trump to sit for a deposition as part of the president's $10bn defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster.
- [2]
BBC lawyers say Trump canceled an agreed-upon deposition date, citing matters of national importance.
- [3]
BBC lawyers said they first requested dates for the deposition in July and followed up repeatedly; both sides eventually agreed on Oct. 16.
- [4]
BBC lawyers wrote that on September 28, 2026, Trump's counsel said the president was 'no longer available for his deposition on October 16 due to other matters of national importance' and would 'endeavor to provide you with a replacement date by the end of this week'; the BBC says he did not.
- [5]
BBC lawyers said they were later told Trump 'has no availability whatsoever for a deposition' before discovery is set to close on Dec. 18, and that Trump would instead make himself available the second or third week of January.
- [6]
The BBC's motion says that nearly eight months into discovery, after seven depositions of BBC witnesses, and with only two months of discovery remaining, the BBC has not been able to depose Trump and does not have a schedule to do so.
- [7]
BBC attorney Charles D. Tobin wrote that the delays 'flouted the cooperative spirit of discovery and precluded the BBC from obtaining the evidence necessary to robustly litigate its defense.'
- [8]
The BBC asks the court to compel Trump to confirm a date for his deposition, notify the BBC of a secure location and any other logistics to ensure his safety, and sit for the deposition.
- [9]
A spokesperson for Trump's legal team did not address the reasons for Trump's delay in a statement responding to the filing, and repeated its allegations against the BBC.
- [10]
Trump voluntarily dropped a $500 million lawsuit he filed against his former lawyer Michael Cohen in 2023, days before he was set to give a deposition in that suit.
- [11]
The BBC admitted filmmakers spliced together quotes from different sections of Trump's Jan. 6, 2021 speech and apologized over the edit, but has denied Trump's claims that it defamed him.
- [12]
Trump filed the lawsuit against the BBC in December 2025, accusing the network of violating Florida's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act over the edit of a Panorama documentary.
- [13]
Magistrate judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett has scheduled a discovery hearing that is likely to touch on the deposition issue for 22 October.
- [14]
The BBC's motion reads: 'Plaintiff chose to file this lawsuit and, in doing so, he accepted the obligations of civil litigation.'
- [15]
The BBC's lawyers wrote that they have spent months trying to secure a location for the deposition from Trump's team, and said they had pledged to keep the location confidential.
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Sources
2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.
- abcnews.comBBC asks judge to force Trump to sit for deposition in his own lawsuit against the channel
1 article · October 15, 2026
- theguardian.comBBC asks judge to force Trump to sit for deposition as part of his $10bn lawsuit
1 article · October 13, 2026
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