Trump Warned of Sanctions Unless He Sits for BBC Deposition
The BBC subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith for a deposition in President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation suit. Trump's legal team is fighting the subpoena.
Smith did not object to the subpoena, court filings show.
Oct. 16 deposition canceled by Trump, citing matters of national importance.
$10 billion sought: $5 billion for defamation, $5 billion under Florida trade law.
Magistrate Judge Enjolique A. Lett warned that noncompliance will lead to sanctions.
Why it matters: The suit targets a 2024 Panorama documentary that spliced two parts of Trump's Jan. 6 speech nearly an hour apart. The edit left out his call to protest peacefully.
Trump's lawyers argue Smith has no firsthand knowledge of Trump's state of mind.
The BBC says Smith's years of investigation make him uniquely qualified to testify.
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Political Bias
Coverage by lean% of 7 sources
7 sources · 9 articles · 57% Left coverage
Where they split: The dispute is whether the BBC's admitted editing error settles the case for Trump or whether his conduct on Jan. 6 is fair game for the BBC's defense.
Left coverage, 4 sources: The left sees Trump stalling his own lawsuit while the BBC turns discovery toward his Jan. 6 conduct, with Smith as a key witness.
Right coverage, 2 sources: The right sees a BBC that admitted distorting Trump's speech now using courtroom tactics, though it notes the judge's sanctions warning.
