A US judge has ordered President Donald Trump to answer questions under oath in a defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The deadline for the former president to provide this testimony is 11 December.
Trump is suing the broadcaster over a Panorama episode that edited together two different sections of a speech he delivered before the 2021 US Capitol riot. The lawsuit, filed in Florida, accuses the BBC of "intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring" the speech given outside the Capitol on 6 January 2021.
The BBC apologised for the error and asked the court to dismiss the legal action. The broadcaster argued it had "no role in creating or producing the documentary".
Donald Trump cancelled a previous deposition on 16 October, citing "matters of national importance". On that same day, the former president attended a midterms campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, and a fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
Trump's lawyers stated the president could appear for the interview between 11 and 22 January next year. The legal team stated it is "wrong to claim that President Trump is avoiding his deposition in this action".
Charles Tobin said, "we still haven't been able to depose the plaintiff". Trump agreed to drop the lawsuit against BBC Studios, and his lawyers conceded in July that they had no evidence the documentary was available in the US on the BritBox subscription service.
