WASHINGTON — President Trump was given a Dec. 11 deadline by a federal judge Thursday to give a deposition in his behemoth $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC.
Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the ruling in response to complaints by BBC attorneys that Trump had been delaying an appearance, noting how the president missed the previously agreed upon date of Oct. 16 due to a “matter of national importance.”
“He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” Tobin explained, according to the Associated Press.
Should Trump fail to meet the Dec. 11 deadline, the president would be at risk of having his defamation case dismissed unless he is able to get the discovery phase extended.
Trump slapped the massive $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC last year in response to a 2024 documentary the outlet released that spliced different sections of Trump’s remarks to supporters at the White House ellipse before the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol.
The BBC’s editing made it appear as though Trump actively encouraged the riot.
Last year, the BBC formally apologized, with its chairman Samir Shah describing it as an “error of judgment” and the British outlet insisting that it did not defame Trump.
The BBC’s director-general and news CEO stepped down amid the controversy.
Technically, Trump’s lawsuit is pursuing $5 billion in defamation damages and $5 billion for alleged violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The documentary in question presented viewers with a heavily edited clip of Trump telling rally-goers: “We’re gonna walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you and we fight. We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not gonna have a country anymore.”
But it sliced that clip up with edits of three different sections of Trump’s speech. It also cut out a nearly hour-long gap to make it seem as though Trump said all of that n one sentence.
One key portion edited out was Trump’s plea to fight “peacefully.”
The BBC documentary also overlaid Trump’s speech at the White House Ellipse with footage of the Proud Boys marching to the Capitol.
The British broadcaster has stressed that its documentary isn’t on streaming services and didn’t air in the US.
Trump’s legal team has contended that it has standing to sue because subscribers to BritBox or those who use virtual private networks (VPNs) could have watched it.
Earlier this month, the BBC subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith for testimony to help its case. Trump’s team has objected to that.
The litigious president has sued numerous media outlets throughout his second term, having scored a $16 million settlement with CBS News over edits made to its interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris on “60 Minutes” and a $15 million settlement with ABC News over a complaint about George Stephanopoulos stating Trump was found liable for rape in the E. Jean Carroll case, when it found him liable for sexual abuse.
Trump has also fired off a $14 billion suit against the New York Times for its coverage of his 2024 bid and sued the Wall Street Journal for publishing details of a creepy birthday card he allegedly wrote to late sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.
The Post contacted the White House for comment.
