BBC asks a US court for help in Trump defamation suit

The BBC has filed a request with a US court to obtain documents and testimony from members of former US President Donald Trump's family regarding his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster. The BBC claims that Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr. possess personal knowledge and relevant records to the elements of Trump's allegations against the broadcaster.

The three Trump family members cannot be served with subpoenas due to their Secret Service protection and surrounding security personnel. The lawsuit, filed in December, accuses the BBC of defamation and deceptive trade practices, citing the editing of Trump's January 6, 2021, speech before the Capitol attack. The BBC has apologized for the misleading edit but denies defaming Trump.

Trump's family members reportedly had knowledge of issues relevant to the argument that implying Trump incited violence on that day would be materially false. The BBC asked Trump to accept the subpoenas for them or direct the Secret Service to allow serving them, but Trump refused. The BBC is seeking to serve the subpoenas via email and certified mail.

The court has given Trump's legal team until Friday to respond to the BBC's request. Trump's legal team argues that the BBC is attempting to distract from its own liability and harass Trump, family, and supporters. A trial is scheduled for February, and last week, a federal judge granted Trump a temporary reprieve from providing details of his business empire's financial performance.