President Trump filed his suit against the BBC in December 2025 and is seeking at least $5bn on each of two counts

Trump ordered to testify in BBC defamation case

· RTE.ie

A US judge has issued President Donald Trump a deadline to testify under oath in his $10 billion (€8.91bn) defamation lawsuit against the BBC.

Judge Enjolique Lett in Miami gave the order in response to complaints by the British broadcaster that Trump has refused to sit for a deposition, including canceling a previously agreed date of 16 October.

If Mr Trump fails to attend the deposition by 11 December, he risks sanctions, including dismissal of his lawsuit, the court said.

The US president has accused the BBC of deceptively editing its documentary Trump: A Second Chance to make it seem as if he was inciting violence when he told supporters to march on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, after losing the presidential election.

The crowd proceeded to storm the US Congress in an attempt to disrupt the formal certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory.

While the BBC has apologised for the incident, which prompted the resignation of multiple senior executives, the broadcaster has denied it caused Mr Trump any real injury and moved for the case to be dismissed.

President Trump filed his suit against the BBC in December 2025 and is seeking at least $5bn on each of two counts.

Charles Tobin, a lawyer for the BBC, said in court that Mr Trump had no real excuse not to testify and that on 16 October, he had only been campaigning, "participating in party politics".

"No plaintiff is above the law," Mr Tobin said.

In a court filing on Wednesday, Mr Trump's legal team argued that he was not seeking to avoid a deposition but had been constrained by "matters of national importance".

The lawyers said Mr Trump would be able to give a deposition between 11 and 22 January.

The US president has frequently attacked the media during his two presidential terms, insulting some reporters and seeking to ban outlets airing critical reports from the White House.

Most recently, the Trump administration entered a legal dispute with CNN, MSNOW and Politico over attempts to bar them from the White House.