BBC seeks approval to subpoena Trump’s family in $10bn case
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The BBC has asked a Florida court to permit subpoenas for Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner as it defends President Trump’s $10bn (£7.4bn) defamation claim over a 2024 Panorama documentary. It argues they may hold relevant evidence about Trump’s intentions when he delivered his speech before the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot, an issue central to whether the programme’s editing was defamatory.
The BBC apologised for an edit that created the mistaken impression Trump had directly called for violence, but denies that this meets the legal threshold for defamation and says the programme was not available on its US platforms. Court filings say personal service attempts at the Trumps’ Florida home and Trump Tower failed; Trump’s lawyers have also acknowledged they lack evidence the documentary was available through BritBox, BBC.com, BBC Select or US broadcasters. Trump has dropped BBC Studios from the case, while a judge granted him more time to provide financial records sought by the BBC concerning his alleged business losses.
- BBC seeks to question Trump family members in $10bn defamation case.
- BBC admits an editing error but contests liability.
- Key US-distribution claims and financial-loss evidence remain disputed.
New here? Start with this
Donald Trump is the US president and a former reality television businessman. His supporters stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 after he gave a speech disputing the result of the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
The BBC is the UK’s public-service broadcaster. A 2024 episode of its Panorama current-affairs programme included an edited version of Trump’s speech, and the BBC later said the edit had created a misleading impression of a direct call for violence.
Defamation cases concern claims that false statements have harmed someone’s reputation. Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump are Trump’s children, while Jared Kushner is Ivanka Trump’s husband and served as a senior adviser during Trump’s first presidency.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The BBC can reasonably argue that the proposed subpoenas are a legitimate part of testing a $10bn claim centred on President Trump’s intentions and the meaning of his words before the Capitol riot. If close advisers or family members discussed the speech, its preparation or his response to events, their evidence could help establish facts relevant to defamation defences; unsuccessful attempts at ordinary service should not prevent proportionate disclosure. This view prioritises a fair, evidence-based process for both parties.
The case against
President Trump’s side can reasonably argue that seeking testimony from Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner risks turning a dispute about a broadcast edit into an intrusive search of relatives who may have little direct knowledge of the programme or its distribution. Discovery should be tightly tied to material issues, and courts should protect non-parties from burdensome requests based mainly on speculation about what they might know. This view prioritises privacy, due process and preventing litigation from being used to exert unnecessary pressure.
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Originally published by The Hill as “BBC lawsuit: Channel plans to subpoena Trump family members”.