The Ten-Billion-Dollar Delay

When suing a public broadcaster for ten billion dollars, one might assume a plaintiff would be eager to take the stand and prove his case. Yet when it comes to sitting down under oath, party politics seems to possess a curious habit of taking precedence. US Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett has now put an end to the scheduling dance, giving Donald Trump until December 11 to submit to a deposition in his high-stakes defamation lawsuit against the BBC.

The judicial mandate follows sharp criticism from the legal team representing the British broadcaster. Attorney Charles Tobin pointed out that despite having only two months left in the discovery window, the defence still had not been permitted to depose the plaintiff. An earlier deposition set for October 16 was abruptly cancelled by Trump, who cited a matter of national importance. In reality, the American president was spending the day in Georgia attending political campaign events.

At the heart of this legal battle lies a 33-page lawsuit filed in December 2025. Trump accuses the broadcaster of defamation and unfair trade practices over its documentary titled "Trump: A Second Chance." The lawsuit demands 10 billion dollars—or roughly 8.6 billion euros—claiming the program presented a false, malicious depiction designed to influence the 2024 presidential election.

To be sure, the BBC did not emerge from the dispute with an unblemished record. The network previously admitted to editing together separate portions of Trump’s speech from January 6, 2021, creating the misleading impression that he had explicitly encouraged violence at the US Capitol. Although two senior executives resigned and the broadcaster issued an official apology, it continues to deny legal liability for defamation.

With the discovery period closing on December 18, the court has made clear that patience has run out. Should Trump fail to comply with the December 11 deadline, he faces potential sanctions, including the complete dismissal of his suit. For a public figure who frequently employs civil litigation as a political megaphone, the federal court has provided a quiet reality check: demanding massive damages requires occasionally showing up in court.

Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com