Judge Rules BBC Can Subpoena Trump Inner Circle in $10B Defamation Suit
A U.S. magistrate judge has ruled that the BBC can move forward with issuing subpoenas to several members of President Donald Trump’s inner circle as part of the broadcaster’s defense in a high-profile $10 billion defamation lawsuit. During a hearing in Miami, U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett determined that the information sought by the British broadcaster is reasonable given the extensive scope of the president’s legal claims, though the court indicated some requested parameters may require narrowing before production.
The legal action stems from a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Trump against the BBC regarding a 2024 documentary that featured an edited 12-second clip of his speech ahead of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The lawsuit alleges the segment misleadingly portrayed him as directly inciting his supporters to violence. Although the BBC issued a formal apology for the editing error, it chose to contest the lawsuit.
To support its defense, the BBC successfully secured court approval to target prominent Trump allies and family members, including:
Donald Trump Jr.
Ivanka Trump
Jared Kushner
Steve Bannon
Stephen Miller
Michael Flynn
The broadcaster is seeking emails, text messages, and other communications tied to the “Stop the Steal” rally, Trump’s broader challenges to the 2020 election results, and documents previously shared with federal investigators. Lawyers for the BBC argued that these materials are essential to establish Trump’s state of mind and actions surrounding the events of January 6, a critical component of mounting a defense against the defamation allegations.
While the ruling marks a procedural victory for the network as discovery progresses toward a trial set for 2027, legal arguments regarding jurisdiction and the exact scope of document production remain points of contention between the two parties
