A federal judge in Florida on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to appear for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11 or face having his $10 billion suit thrown out.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the order after BBC lawyers complained that Trump was dragging his feet. He was supposed to appear for a deposition on October 16 but canceled it due to a “matter of national importance.”
BBC lawyer Charles Tobin told the judge the case turned out to be a political rally and fundraiser. “He participated in party politics and prioritized that over deposition,” Tobin said.
NBC News has contacted the BBC for comment. The White House referred a request for comment to a representative for Trump’s personal legal team, who did not immediately respond.
Trump filed a lawsuit against the British news agency last year, alleging it broadcast a “false, defamatory, misleading, derogatory, inflammatory and malicious portrayal” of him in a documentary compiling comments from his speech at the Ellipse before the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
The BBC has acknowledged collapsing comments from the speech, but maintains that Trump was not defamed and suffered no damage.
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