Trump ordered to answer questions under oath in BBC lawsuit

A US judge has ordered former President Donald Trump to answer questions under oath in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by December 11. Trump is suing the BBC over an edited BBC Panorama episode that combined two sections of a speech he gave before the 2021 US Capitol riot. Charles Tobin, representing the BBC, stated in court that they have yet to depose Trump two months before the deadline for exchanging information during the discovery period.

Trump had previously cancelled a deposition on October 16, citing "matters of national importance" during his Georgia campaign. US Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett has mandated Trump's deposition by December 11, unless the discovery period is extended. Lawyers have previously requested Lett to compel Trump to attend the deposition after a scheduled meeting did not occur.

Trump's lawyers argue that he could appear for the interview between December 11 and January 22, calling the BBC's claim that he's avoiding the deposition "wrong." Trump's lawsuit accuses the BBC of intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively editing the speech he gave outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to give the impression he called for violence.

The BBC apologized for the error, stating the broadcast inaccurately suggested Trump advocated for violence. The broadcaster has requested the court dismiss the lawsuit, arguing it does not meet defamation legal criteria and was not available in the US. In July, Trump's lawyers conceded they had no evidence the documentary was available on BBC BritBox or its website or US broadcasters, leading Trump to drop the lawsuit against BBC Studios, the commercial arm, after the BBC argued it had no role in creating the documentary.

Depositions, held in lawyers' offices under oath and recorded verbatim by a court reporter, have legal weight and can be used as evidence in trials. Both sides typically have lawyers present during depositions.