Trump’s $10 billion BBC defamation lawsuit takes a dramatic turn as federal judge backs subpoena for Mar-a-Lago membership records, orders him to face deposition

President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC has come under new legal scrutiny after a federal judge asked whether the president’s legal team had responded properly to the evidentiary demands, ordering President Trump to get ready for the deposition. The court also backed the BBC’s attempt to acquire membership documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago organisation, providing yet another complication to a case which may reveal information about Trump’s political entourage and the 2020 elections.

According to CNN, Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett raised concerns during a Thursday hearing about the effort Trump’s lawyers had made to locate internal documents relevant to the dispute.

Moreover, she set a December 11 date for Trump to be questioned, though the judge and both parties acknowledged the date could be extended.


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It must be emphasised that the hearing highlighted one of the problems arising in connection with famous cases: a plaintiff claiming damages must also answer the other party's questions.

Thus, Trump, who is involved in the BBC case, might have to not only defend himself against allegations about the damage caused by the documentary but also provide the documents that the BBC considers necessary.

Judge questions Trump team’s search for evidence

Lett expressed doubt that Trump’s legal team had conducted a sufficiently thorough search for documents requested by the BBC. CNN reported that the judge said she tended to agree with the broadcaster that it was difficult to believe all relevant requests had been properly addressed.

The judge acknowledged that discovery can be demanding, but stressed that it is part of bringing a lawsuit. Her comments signalled that Trump cannot pursue a major defamation claim while treating the process of producing evidence as optional or secondary.

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Position of the Court: This is important because through the process of discovery, each party can access information relevant to their claim and defence. The information can be in the form of documents and testimonies.

Lett also backed the BBC’s subpoena seeking membership records from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida. The records could help the broadcaster investigate the connections and information relevant to its defence, although the subpoena does not itself establish wrongdoing by Trump or any club member.

CNN’s account of the hearing suggests the dispute is now partly focused on whether Trump’s side has met its obligations to provide evidence. That issue could shape the next stages of the lawsuit, even before the court reaches the central question of whether the BBC’s documentary was defamatory.

Why Trump is suing the BBC for $10 billion

Trump filed a suit against the channel due to a documentary that was aired on the BBC before the 2024 presidential elections related to the comeback of his political career.

As per Trump, the BBC has defamed him since he claims that the BBC has distorted various parts of the speech he made on January 6, 2021, in a way that gives the viewers an incorrect impression of what has been actually said.

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It seems that the BBC has associated the part where Trump had told his supporters to march towards the Capitol with the other part where Trump had used the slogan, “We fight like hell.”

The dispute centres on the difference between presenting a public figure’s words in an edited programme and creating a materially misleading impression that could support a defamation claim. Trump’s allegations are not, by themselves, proof that the BBC violated the law. The broadcaster’s defence and the evidence presented by both sides will be important in determining how the case proceeds.

CNN reported that the court had previously addressed the scope of discovery related to the speech. The BBC was allowed to seek information that could shed light on the message Trump intended to convey and the impression the speech left. At the same time, the court cautioned that this did not give the broadcaster permission to reopen the entire history of January 6.

That distinction may prove significant. The judge is allowing evidence relevant to the documentary dispute while setting limits on how broadly the case can expand.

Subpoenas reach Trump’s wider political circle

The BBC’s evidence-gathering efforts extend beyond Trump himself.

According to CNN's news report, the channel maintains that the station has issued at least 47 subpoenas to those officials who have previously worked or are currently serving the government, along with those people who may have any information on President Trump's efforts to contest the results of the 2020 elections.

Those individuals, according to reports, include Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, the previous attorney general Bill Barr, and the White House Counsel Pat Cipollone. Nevertheless, the issuance of the subpoenas does not indicate any misconduct by these individuals; rather, it means that the BBC wants some information.

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The breadth of the requests reflects the broadcaster’s attempt to establish the context surrounding Trump’s January 6 speech and how its edited presentation might be evaluated. The legal fight will turn on which evidence is relevant to the claims, what information the parties are required to produce and whether the documentary meets the legal standard for defamation.

Lett’s order that Trump sit for a deposition by December 11 adds a personal obligation to that process.

A deposition generally involves answering questions under oath before trial, with the testimony recorded for possible use in the litigation. Although the date could change, the order puts Trump’s own account among the evidence that may be examined.

The case remains unresolved, and neither the subpoena nor the deposition order determines its eventual outcome. But the latest hearing makes clear that Trump’s $10 billion claim will be tested through the same demanding discovery process that applies to other litigants.

As CNN reported, the immediate question is whether his legal team can satisfy the court’s requirements while the BBC continues building its defence.