President Donald Trump has accused the BBC of targeting his family members through aggressive legal tactics in his ongoing $10 billion defamation case. The dispute is on a Panorama documentary that Trump claims edited his January 6 speech to falsely portray him as encouraging violence at the Capitol.
Donald Trump’s legal team objects as the BBC seeks subpoenas for his children
The BBC has asked a Florida court for permission to serve subpoenas on Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner. The broadcaster wants to compel their testimony, arguing they hold direct knowledge of Trump’s intentions during the January 6 address.
A spokesman for Trump’s legal team rejected the move. He told The Telegraph that the BBC defamed President Donald Trump and now seeks to harass him, his family, and his supporters by abusing the deposition process. He added that the broadcaster is trying to distract from its own liability.
The roots of the lawsuit trace back to an investigation that revealed editors spliced separate portions of Trump’s speech together for the Panorama programme. This allegedly created the impression that he urged supporters to storm the Capitol after losing the election. In reality, Trump called for peaceful demonstration.
The BBC apologised last year for an error in judgment and pulled the documentary from all platforms. The corporation denied defaming Trump but has since moved to dismiss the case. Court documents filed by the BBC state that Secret Service protection has prevented process servers from reaching the Trump children physically. The broadcaster claims Trump refused to accept the subpoenas on their behalf or instruct the Secret Service to allow access.
The BBC’s lawyers argue the children possess personal knowledge of events that day that could clarify Trump’s intent. The broadcaster now seeks court assistance to find an alternative method of service. A judge recently ruled that Trump may amend his lawsuit, allowing him to expand his claims. The trial is scheduled for February 2027 in Florida.
