Nicolai Haugsted
The president’s lawyers are citing matters of national importance as they seek to postpone his questioning in a high-profile defamation case.
Donald Trump has spent years pursuing legal battles against media organizations, frequently accusing news outlets of treating him unfairly and damaging his reputation.
But bringing a lawsuit comes with obligations that extend beyond filing accusations and demanding compensation.
The person making the allegations can also be required to answer questions under oath, even when that person happens to occupy the Oval Office.
That reality is now creating a scheduling dispute in Trump’s multibillion-dollar defamation case against the BBC.
With his deposition originally scheduled for Friday, October 16, the president’s lawyers are seeking to postpone his testimony until January 2027, prompting the British broadcaster to ask a federal court to intervene.
Trump’s lawyers want more time
The dispute stems from a lawsuit Trump filed against the BBC in December over its editing of his January 6, 2021, speech.
Trump alleges that the broadcaster combined separate portions of his remarks in a way that misleadingly suggested he encouraged supporters to storm the US Capitol.
His complaint accuses the BBC of acting “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively” and claims the broadcast damaged the value of his brand, businesses and properties.
The BBC is contesting the case, and its lawyers now argue that they have been unable to arrange questioning of the central figure behind the lawsuit.
According to court documents described by The Daily Beast, Trump’s legal team agreed in late July that the president would give his deposition on October 16.
The location, however, remained unresolved.
BBC lawyers contacted Trump’s representatives on September 16 to confirm arrangements, including security-related details and the identities of those attending.
Trump’s attorney indicated that he was making inquiries and would respond.
According to the BBC’s filing, that response never arrived.
A last-minute change creates a dispute
The broadcaster followed up on September 24, but four days later, Trump’s lawyer informed the BBC that the president was no longer available on the agreed date.
The explanation was that Trump had other responsibilities of national importance.
His legal team reportedly promised to suggest another date but did not provide one.
BBC lawyers tried again on October 7, without securing a replacement appointment.
The situation escalated when Trump’s representatives eventually indicated that the president could not make himself available before the scheduled discovery deadline of December 18.
“Plaintiff’s counsel informed the BBC’s counsel that Plaintiff has no availability whatsoever for a deposition before discovery is set to close on December 18, 2026,” the BBC’s filing states.
The president’s lawyers instead proposed extending the discovery period and arranging testimony during the second or third week of January 2027.
No specific January date was offered.
BBC points to Trump’s own decision
The BBC acknowledges that questioning a sitting US president requires additional logistical and security arrangements.
However, its lawyers argue that the administration’s scheduling difficulties cannot indefinitely prevent them from questioning the person who initiated the lawsuit.
The broadcaster has already participated in seven depositions involving BBC witnesses.
Yet Trump himself has not been questioned.
“Nearly eight months into discovery, after seven depositions of BBC witnesses, and with only two months of discovery remaining, the BBC still has not been able to depose, and does not even have a schedule to depose, the most central figure in this case: Plaintiff himself,” the filing states.
The broadcaster also emphasizes that Trump voluntarily initiated the proceedings.
“Plaintiff chose to file this lawsuit and, in doing so, he accepted the obligations of civil litigation.”
The BBC is asking the court to help establish a deposition schedule before the existing discovery period expires.
Campaign schedule adds another complication
The timing of Trump’s political commitments has attracted attention because the president is scheduled to attend a Republican campaign rally in Georgia on October 16.
The Republican National Committee announced that Trump would travel to Dalton to campaign ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
That appearance falls on the same day originally reserved for his deposition.
Trump also traveled to Alaska on Tuesday and had two additional campaign events scheduled for Wednesday.
His lawyers maintain that presidential responsibilities prevent him from attending the deposition as planned.
The BBC, meanwhile, is seeking a firm timetable rather than an open-ended postponement.
The court must now consider how to accommodate the president’s official responsibilities while preserving the broadcaster’s opportunity to question him.
For Trump, the dispute illustrates a complication of pursuing legal action while serving as president: the lawsuit may be his, but the timetable is not entirely his to control.
