President Donald Trump has filed opposition to efforts by the BBC to secure court assistance in obtaining testimony and documents from three of his family members as part of his substantial defamation action against the British broadcaster. Trump’s legal team characterized the BBC’s subpoena requests targeting daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and son Donald Trump Jr. as an attempt to gain leverage through politically motivated means. The motion was filed with U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz in Miami, who has not yet ruled on the matter.
The BBC previously attempted to serve subpoenas on Ivanka Trump and Kushner at their residence earlier this year, but Secret Service agents present at the location declined to accept the documents, according to Trump’s legal representatives. An additional attempt to serve Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower in New York was also unsuccessful. In response to these delivery obstacles, the broadcaster requested judicial permission to serve the subpoenas through certified mail instead of in-person service.
Trump’s lawsuit, initiated last December, centers on allegations that the BBC selectively edited portions of a speech Trump delivered near the White House on January 6, 2021. Trump contends that the broadcaster intentionally combined separate segments of his remarks to misrepresent his statements. The legal action further alleges that the BBC released its documentary presentation approximately one week before the 2024 presidential election, claiming this timing constituted an effort to interfere with and influence the election’s outcome to Trump’s disadvantage.
Trump’s legal team argued that the BBC’s discovery requests cannot be separated from what they characterize as a politically motivated investigation that the court has previously determined to be excessively broad. The BBC has previously issued an apology to Trump regarding the editorial decision but maintains that its coverage did not constitute defamation. Judge Kuntz, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, recently assumed oversight of the case from another judge. The proceedings currently have a trial date scheduled for February.
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