The federal court ordered US President Donald Trump to testify by December 11. The US President will have to answer questions under oath in court in a 10 billion dollar defamation case against the British media BBC. It is alleged that Trump is delaying the proceedings of the case to avoid answering. Now the summons is in the court.
The US president filed the case in a federal court in Florida last December, alleging that a video of Trump's speech given on January 6, 2021 was edited and presented in a misleading manner. Trump alleged that by covering different parts of the speech, the BBC created the impression that he had ordered his supporters to attack the US Capitol building. In view of that, he demanded 10 billion dollars defamation compensation against the BBC. In view of that, on Thursday US Magistrate Nzolik Let ordered, not against Trump, but in this case filed by Trump against the BBC, he must answer the questions of the BBC's lawyers under oath by December 11. Last October, Trump canceled scheduled depositions in the BBC case, citing the president's busy schedule.
However, the BBC admitted to editing the video and apologized to Trump. However, the British broadcaster has denied responsibility for defamation. But Trump's lawyers say the scope of the information the BBC is seeking is overly broad and unrelated to the case. In the documents submitted to the court, they also claimed that Trump is not trying to avoid the deposition. Rather, his duties as president and his security needs should be prioritized. Trump and his lawyers have been unduly slow to respond to BBC requests for documents and other information related to the case, the BBC alleges.