A American magistrate has instructed President Donald Trump to give testimony under oath by 11 December in connection with his defamation suit against, following a missed interview date.
US Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett issued the order requiring Trump to sit for a deposition before the discovery phase closes, unless an extension is formally granted. In US legal proceedings, a deposition involves out-of-court questioning under oath, recorded verbatim by a court reporter for potential trial evidence without a judge physically present in the room. In US law, a deposition is an out-of-court statement made under oath in response to questions, which is recorded for use in later proceedings. Typically, depositions take place in a lawyer’s office – rather than a courtroom – without a judge physically present.
The legal action stems from an episode of Panorama programme that spliced together two separate segments of a speech Trump delivered near the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. The suit, filed in a Florida court, alleges the broadcaster intentionally and deceitfully doctored the footage. Trump is suing over an episode of Panorama that edited together two different sections of a speech he gave before the riot at the US Capitol in 2021. Maliciously, and deceptively doctoring” the speech he gave outside the Capitol on 6 January 2021, trump’s lawsuit – filed in Florida – accuses of “intentionally.
Attorneys representing the network asked the court to intervene after Trump cancelled a deposition scheduled for 16 October, citing pressing national priorities. counsel Charles Tobin informed the court that the legal team had been unable to depose the plaintiff despite having only two months remaining in the discovery window. Citing “matters of national importance” while he was campaigning in Georgia, trump cancelled a previous deposition on 16 October.
Records show that on the day of the skipped interview, Trump attended a political rally in Dalton, Georgia, along with a fundraising event at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Responding in a court document on Wednesday, Trump’s legal representatives pushed back against claims that he was intentionally avoiding the process, proposing alternative availability between 11 and 22 January next year.
Has issued an apology for the editing choice, acknowledging that the sequence created an erroneous impression that Trump was making a direct call for violent actions. However, the broadcaster is seeking a full dismissal of the case, asserting that the material fails to meet legal standards for defamation and was never distributed within the United States.
During court proceedings in July, Trump’s legal team conceded they possessed no evidence showing the documentary was streamed domestically via BritBox, Select, the network’s website, or American television outlets, as originally alleged. Trump subsequently dropped claims against Studios after the commercial subsidiary demonstrated it was not involved in creating or producing the program.
Unless court schedules are revised, Trump will be required to submit to questioning by the newly established December deadline.
