A U.S. judge has ordered Donald Trump to testify under oath in the defamation lawsuit he filed against the BBC after previously missing a scheduled deposition.
On Thursday, 22 Oct 2026 GMT+7, U.S. District Judge Angelique Lett ordered former President Donald Trump to provide an out-of-court sworn deposition in the defamation case he filed against the BBC by 11 Dec this year.
Trump filed a lawsuit against the BBC in a Florida state court seeking $10 billion in damages, alleging that the BBC's Panorama documentary edited two parts of his speeches—given before the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot—together in a way that caused misunderstanding.
The BBC admitted and apologized for the error, acknowledging the editing created a false impression that Trump incited violence. However, the BBC also filed a motion to dismiss, arguing the program does not meet defamation law criteria and was not broadcast or distributed in the United States.
Trump's legal team later conceded there was no evidence the documentary aired in the U.S. via BritBox, the BBC website, BBC Select, or other U.S. TV stations as initially claimed.
Subsequently, Trump withdrew his lawsuit against BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC, after they clarified they were not involved in producing the documentary in question.
However, the lawsuit against the BBC news organization continues. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman of the Southern District of Florida scheduled a preliminary trial date for 15 Feb 2027, set to last two weeks, and denied the BBC's request to postpone the trial.
Deposition testimony usually takes place at a law office without a judge present but has full legal effect. The testimony is recorded verbatim to be used as evidence in court proceedings.
Trump previously canceled a deposition scheduled for 16 Oct, citing "important national duties," yet attended campaign and fundraising events in Georgia and at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that same day. This prompted the BBC's lawyers to request the court last week to compel Trump to testify.
Trump's lawyers stated he did not intend to avoid testimony and offered to appear for deposition between 11 and 22 Jan next year.
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Source:bbc