The BBC has asked a federal court in Florida to compel testimony and documents from President Donald Trump's family members as part of his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster.
The BBC's lawyers argued in a Friday court filing that Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. possess "personal knowledge" of facts relevant to Trump's claims. The broadcaster cited difficulty serving subpoenas on the three due to their Secret Service protection.
Trump objected to the request. His legal team urged the judge to reject the BBC's petition for court-ordered assistance.
Trump filed the lawsuit in December, accusing the BBC of defamation and unfair trade practices. The suit stems from a 2024 documentary that edited a speech Trump delivered on Jan. 6, 2021, before protesters attacked the Capitol. Trump's lawyers alleged the BBC "spliced together two entirely separate parts" of the speech "to intentionally misrepresent the meaning of what President Trump said."
Trump's legal team characterized the editing as "a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence" the 2024 presidential election.
The BBC apologized for the misleading edit but maintained its actions did not constitute defamation.
In its latest filing, the BBC argued that the three family members have knowledge central to Trump's defense that "it would be materially false to imply that he incited violence" on Jan. 6. The filing noted that Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. were in the Oval Office while the president revised his speech. It also stated that Donald Trump Jr. spoke directly with his father after violence erupted at the Capitol.
The Florida judge will now rule on whether to compel the family members to provide records and testimony.
