Trump’s BBC Lawsuit Hits a Legal Setback Before Christmas

WHO:

Alternet - President Donald Trump is the plaintiff in a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Alternet - U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett set a deadline for Trump to sit for a deposition.

Alternet - BBC attorneys accused Trump of deliberately stalling the case.

Alternet - Matt Naham of Law and Crime reported on the deposition order; Alternet attributed details about the order to The Associated Press.

Alternet - The BBC denies Trump’s defamation accusation.

Salon - A federal judge ordered the president to sit for a deposition.

WHAT:

Alternet - The judge ordered Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 or risk having his lawsuit thrown out.

Salon - The federal judge ordered Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11; Salon described the lawsuit as at risk of falling apart.

Alternet - Trump’s lawsuit concerns a BBC documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance,” which implied he directly called for violent action during his Jan. 6 speech.

Alternet - BBC attorneys said Trump missed a previously scheduled Oct. 16 deposition, citing “matters of national importance,” and attended a political campaign event in Georgia instead.

Alternet - The article says Trump lost 26 consecutive court cases in attempts to force states to provide him with their voter rolls.

Alternet - The article says Trump attempted to sue The New York Times over its reporting about a jet he purchased from Qatar.

WHERE:

Alternet - The campaign event Trump attended instead of the scheduled deposition was in Georgia.

Alternet - The New York Times lawsuit concerned a jet Trump purchased from Qatar.

WHEN:

Alternet - The BBC documentary aired in late 2025.

Alternet - The deposition deadline is Dec. 11.

Salon - The deposition deadline is Dec. 11; the article says the order was issued on Thursday.

WHY:

Alternet - BBC attorneys accused Trump of deliberately stalling and cited his failure to attend the previously scheduled deposition.

Alternet - The lawsuit alleges that the documentary defamed Trump by implying he directly called for violent action during his Jan. 6 speech.

HOW:

Alternet - The judge set a deposition deadline and warned that the lawsuit could be thrown out if Trump did not comply.

(UPDATED October 23, 2026 01:35 UTC)

President Trump has been ordered to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, or risk having the case dismissed. U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett set the deadline after BBC attorneys accused Trump of deliberately stalling the case. They say he missed a previously scheduled deposition, citing “matters of national importance,” and attended a political campaign event in Georgia instead. The lawsuit concerns the BBC documentary “Trump: A Second Chance,” which aired in late 2025. Trump alleges it defamed him by implying he directly called for violent action during his Jan. 6 speech. The BBC denies the accusation. The dispute now turns on whether Trump will comply with the court’s deposition order before the deadline.