BBC lawyers accuse Trump of backing out of a deposition in his own dubious lawsuit

Donald Trump's defamation suit against the BBC has stalled because the president has not made himself available to be questioned under oath, a step the case requires before it can move forward. Politico reported that his lawyers called off a session scheduled for October 16, telling BBC counsel he was tied up with "other matters of national importance." They now say he is unavailable until at least mid-December, and may be free in the second or third week of January. The BBC has asked a judge to compel a firm date, according to MS NOW.

BBC attorney Charles Tobin noted that roughly eight months of discovery have passed, seven BBC witnesses have already been deposed, and only two months remain, yet no date exists for the plaintiff.

Trump is seeking $10 billion, having sued last year over a broadcast about January 6. The program stitched together two portions of his speech given about 50 minutes apart. Trump has said the network used AI to invent his words, but MS NOW reports that is wrong: nothing was fabricated. Still, the splice triggered an internal inquiry, firings among senior staff and a written apology from the broadcaster.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →