Trump Ordered to Give Sworn Testimony by December 11 in BBC Lawsuit

A US federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to provide sworn testimony by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, warning that failure to comply with the court’s requirements could lead to the case being dismissed.

The development was reported by CNN following a hearing in which Federal Magistrate Judge Angelique H. Lett directed Trump’s legal team to make further efforts to provide the information and documents requested in connection with the dispute.

The judge also supported a BBC request for records relating to Trump’s membership at his Mar-a-Lago residence. The records form part of the information being sought as the parties prepare their positions in the litigation.

Trump filed the lawsuit in December 2025 over a BBC documentary broadcast before the 2024 US presidential election. His complaint concerns the editing together of two separate portions of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which he argues created a misleading impression of his remarks.

The documentary combined his appeal to supporters to march towards the US Capitol with another portion of the speech in which he said they would fight with all their strength. Trump’s legal action argues that the editing misrepresented the meaning and context of his speech.

The speech preceded the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, an event that disrupted the congressional proceedings connected to the certification of the 2020 presidential election result. The lawsuit centres on the BBC’s presentation of the speech rather than the broader political dispute surrounding that day.

According to the supplied report, the BBC has issued at least 47 legal subpoenas seeking information from people connected to Trump, including current and former officials and members of his family. Those named include Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, former attorney general Bill Barr and former White House counsel Pat Cipollone.

The breadth of the requests reflects the parties’ efforts to obtain records and testimony relevant to the case. The judge’s latest direction places an additional deadline on Trump’s legal team and makes compliance an important procedural issue.

The potential dismissal warning does not mean the lawsuit has already been rejected. Rather, it indicates that the court expects the required testimony and disclosures to be provided within the established timetable.

The case raises questions about documentary editing, the portrayal of political speeches and the legal standards governing defamation claims. Its outcome will depend on the evidence, the parties’ arguments and the court’s assessment of the issues before it.

For now, the December 11 deadline is the immediate development, with Trump’s legal team facing the prospect of dismissal if the court’s requirements are not met.