A federal magistrate judge has mandated that President Trump submit to a deposition under oath by 11 December in connection with his defamation case against the British Broadcasting Corporation. The lawsuit stems from a Panorama episode that the president contends improperly edited together separate sections of remarks he delivered outside the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.
Trump’s legal team had previously cancelled a scheduled deposition on 16 October, citing “matters of national importance” related to campaign activities in Georgia. BBC attorneys subsequently requested that the court compel Trump to appear for questioning, noting that the discovery phase—during which both parties exchange case-related information—had roughly two months remaining and the deposition had not yet occurred.
The lawsuit alleges that the BBC “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively” altered the original speech. The corporation issued an apology for what it described as an editing error that created “the mistaken impression that President Trump made a direct call for violent action.” The BBC has asked the court to dismiss the case entirely, arguing that the program does not satisfy legal standards for defamation and was not distributed within the United States.
Trump’s attorneys indicated in a recent filing that the president could be available for the deposition between 11 and 22 January next year, characterizing suggestions that he has been avoiding the questioning as inaccurate. The legal team had previously acknowledged lacking evidence that the documentary was accessible to US audiences through BBC platforms. Additionally, Trump agreed to dismiss claims against BBC Studios, the network’s commercial subsidiary, after the organization demonstrated it played no role in the documentary’s creation or production.
A deposition constitutes an out-of-court statement made under oath, typically recorded by a court reporter and later usable as evidence in trial proceedings. Such proceedings generally occur in legal offices rather than courtrooms and are attended by attorneys representing both sides.
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