The BBC has asked the US District Court in the Southern District of Florida for permission to subpoena three of US President Donald Trump’s children as part of its defence against his $10 billion defamation lawsuit, arguing the family members hold direct knowledge relevant to the case but that their Secret Service protection has repeatedly blocked attempts to serve them.
Lawyers for the BBC say Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner “without question have personal knowledge” about Trump’s intentions in delivering the speech at the heart of the case, his 6 January 2021 address to supporters at the Ellipse as the attack on the US Capitol was getting underway. The broadcaster’s court filing notes that a judge must grant permission for the trio to be subpoenaed through “alternative methods,” since their Secret Service protection has so far prevented them from being served in person, as is typically required.
BBC Donald Trump Defamation Lawsuit: What Is The Underlying Dispute Actually About?
Trump’s lawsuit alleges that a BBC documentary aired in the UK in 2024 defamed him by splicing together distant parts of his speech to make it sound as though he was endorsing violence. The programme, titled “Trump: A Second Chance?”, featured footage from the speech spliced together from remarks Trump delivered more than 50 minutes apart from one another, according to court filings. Trump claims the BBC “put terrible words in my mouth” when it quoted him calling on his supporters to “fight like hell,” while omitting that he also said he would walk with them “to peacefully” demonstrate.
BBC Donald Trump Defamation Lawsuit: How Has The BBC Responded To The Allegations?
The BBC has apologised for the editing but denies that it constitutes valid grounds for a lawsuit. The broadcaster has maintained throughout the proceedings that Trump lacks the grounds for a defamation claim, and is being defended by law firm Ballard Spahr, which has separately represented other major publications facing litigation from Trump and his allies, including the New York Times and the Associated Press.
BBC Donald Trump Defamation Lawsuit: Why Has The Scope Of The Lawsuit Already Narrowed?
US District Judge Roy K. Altman ruled earlier this month that Trump could revise his lawsuit by excluding his earlier claim that a 12-second clip in the documentary caused massive financial damage to his business, a decision that could spare his real estate company from responding to some of the BBC’s subpoenas for extensive financial records. The narrowed complaint means Trump’s claims now focus on reputational rather than business harm, a shift the BBC had previously used as grounds to justify its own request for access to Trump’s financial documents.
BBC Donald Trump Defamation Lawsuit: What Happens Next In The Case?
It remains unclear when the court will rule on the BBC’s request to subpoena Trump’s children, or when any resulting depositions might take place. With both sides continuing to spar over the scope of discovery and Trump’s updated complaint now before the court, the dispute over access to his children’s testimony is expected to be one of several procedural battles shaping how the closely watched case proceeds toward trial.
