BBC asks US court to help secure Trump family testimony in $10 billion defamation suit

The BBC has asked a US court to help obtain documents and testimony from members of President Donald Trump’s family as part of his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster, according to a court filing.

In a filing before a federal court in Florida, BBC lawyers said Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. have “personal knowledge” and may possess records relevant to Trump’s claims. The broadcaster said it has been unable to serve subpoenas because the three are protected by the US Secret Service and surrounded by security personnel.

Trump filed the lawsuit in December, accusing the BBC of defamation and deceptive and unfair trade practices over the editing of a 2024 documentary featuring his January 6, 2021 speech.

Trump alleges the BBC improperly spliced together separate portions of the speech, misleading viewers about his remarks and creating the impression that he had encouraged violence before the Capitol attack. He also accused the broadcaster of attempting to influence the 2024 presidential election.

The BBC has apologised for the misleading edit but has denied defaming Trump.

In its latest filing, the BBC said Trump’s family members could provide information relevant to his claim that it would be false to suggest he incited violence on January 6. The filing said Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. were in the Oval Office while Trump was revising his speech, and that Trump Jr. spoke with his father after violence erupted at the Capitol.

The BBC said it asked Trump to accept subpoenas on behalf of Ivanka Trump and Kushner or instruct the Secret Service to facilitate service, but he declined. The broadcaster has asked the court to permit service by email and certified mail.

Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of trying to distract from its own liability, saying the broadcaster was “abusing the deposition process” to harass Trump, his family and supporters. The judge has given Trump’s lawyers until Friday to respond.

The trial has been provisionally scheduled for February. Last week, a Florida federal judge temporarily paused an order requiring Trump to provide details about his business empire’s financial performance while considering an amended complaint that could narrow his claims of business and reputational damage.