Judge in Miami says Trump must sit for deposition in BBC defamation lawsuit by Dec. 11

Updated on: October 22, 2026 / 1:55 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — A federal judge said President Trump must sit for a deposition with lawyers for the BBC by Dec. 11 as part of his ongoing defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett set the deadline during a hearing in Miami on Thursday morning, according to the Associated Press. The judge ordered Mr. Trump to answer questions by Dec. 11 or face penalties, which could include dismissal of his lawsuit against the BBC, unless the period for the president and the network to collect information in the case is extended, the AP reported.

Mr. Trump was supposed to sit for a deposition Friday, but his lawyers told the BBC late last month that he would no longer be available to answer questions "due to other matters of national importance." The BBC told the court that on the day of the scheduled deposition, Oct. 16, the president spoke at a rally in Georgia alongside GOP candidates for the Senate and governor. He then traveled to his South Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, where he attended an event for the Republican National Committee.

The president said he would…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/