Federal judge warns Trump’s $10 billion BBC defamation suit could be dismissed over discovery, backs subpoena and orders deposition by Dec. 11

A federal judge warned Donald Trump that his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC could be dismissed if he does not adequately provide information sought by the broadcaster. At a Thursday hearing, the magistrate judge said Trump must sit for a deposition and conduct a more extensive search for internal documents related to the case.

The judge also upheld the BBC’s subpoena for membership records at Mar-a-Lago, while expressing skepticism that Trump and his legal team had thoroughly searched for records responsive to the requests. The court ordered Trump to appear for a deposition by Dec. 11, although both sides said the date could be postponed.

Trump filed the lawsuit against the BBC in December 2025 over a documentary about his political comeback that aired before the 2024 election. He alleges the broadcaster defamed him by editing and splicing portions of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech.