BBC asks court to compel Trump deposition in €8.6bn defamation case

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has requested a federal court in Florida to compel US President Donald Trump to set a specific date for his deposition in his ongoing $8.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network, according to court documents. The BBC has been in the discovery phase of the lawsuit for nearly eight months, with seven depositions of its witnesses already conducted, and only two months of discovery remaining.

However, the BBC has not been able to conduct a deposition with Trump himself, and does not have a schedule for one. The BBC's lawyers filed the request for a deposition date and requested that the issue be addressed at a hearing scheduled for October 22. Trump's legal team responded, avoiding discussing the reasons for the delay, but reiterated its allegations against the BBC, claiming the president is holding the broadcaster "accountable for its defamation and reckless election interference" much like he has held other mainstream media responsible in the past.

Trump filed the lawsuit against the BBC in December 2025, alleging the broadcaster committed defamation and deceptive trade practices through its documentary "Trump: A Second Chance." The 33-page lawsuit claimed the documentary presented a "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump," describing it as a "brazen attempt to interfere in and influence" the 2024 US presidential election.

The BBC admitted to editing Trump's 6 January 2021 speech to make it appear he encouraged violence at the US Capitol, but denied the claims of defamation. Trump has a history of attacking media outlets, restricting access, disparaging critical journalists, and bringing high-stakes lawsuits seeking substantial compensation. In April, a US federal judge dismissed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit Trump brought against The Wall Street Journal.