The BBC is attempting to compel members of Donald Trump’s family to provide testimony and documents in defense of a substantial defamation lawsuit brought by the former president. According to court documents, the broadcaster’s legal representatives sought to serve subpoenas to Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner in May as part of their response to the $10 billion claim against the organization.
The lawsuit stems from a 2024 Panorama episode that featured an edited version of Trump’s speech delivered before the 2021 Capitol riots. The BBC has acknowledged an editing error that created a misleading impression regarding the president’s statements, though the broadcaster maintains the program does not meet legal standards for defamation. Trump’s legal team contends the network deliberately altered the content in a deceptive manner.
BBC lawyers argue that Trump’s family members possess relevant knowledge of the president’s intentions when delivering the speech, making their accounts valuable to the case. Previous efforts to hand-deliver the subpoenas proved unsuccessful, leading the BBC to request permission to serve them electronically. A trial date in February 2027 has been set should the litigation proceed.
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