The BBC has approached a Florida court with a request to subpoena President Trump’s family members as part of a legal defense against a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Mr. Trump. This information surfaced through a court document released recently.
The legal team representing the BBC sought permission from the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida to serve subpoenas to Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner. These subpoenas would require the three to provide testimonies and documentation concerning the events of January 6, 2021, when supporters of Mr. Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol.
The Third Parties have personal knowledge and likely have possession, custody, or control of records relevant to multiple elements of Plaintiff’s claims against the BBC.
The court has instructed Mr. Trump’s legal representatives to respond to the filing by Friday. Inquiries for comment from Mr. Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito by CBS News remain unanswered. However, Mr. Trump’s legal team released a statement to BBC News accusing the broadcaster of misuse of the legal process to harass the president, his family, and supporters.
In December, Mr. Trump initiated the lawsuit accusing the BBC of defamation along with deceptive and unfair trade practices. The lawsuit centers on a 2024 BBC Panorama documentary that allegedly misrepresented a speech by Mr. Trump, given before the Capitol riot. The legal team for Mr. Trump has alleged that the BBC edited the speech to suggest that the president encouraged violence.
The lawsuit highlights that two clips were spliced together, omitting a statement where Mr. Trump called for peace. The BBC has previously apologized for this edit but insists it does not constitute defamation.
Earlier attempts by the BBC to issue subpoenas to Trump’s children and Kushner were unsuccessful due in part to local law enforcement and procedural barriers. The network cited congressional records showing that both Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump were present during speech preparations, and that Jared Kushner had a role in drafting a related statement.
The BBC’s press office has not commented on the litigation. CBS News and the BBC maintain an international partnership.
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