WASHINGTON — President Trump was given a Dec. 11 deadline by a federal judge Thursday to give a deposition in his behemoth $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC.

Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the ruling in response to complaints by BBC attorneys that Trump had been delaying an appearance, noting how the president missed the previously agreed upon date of Oct. 16 due to a “matter of national importance.”

President Donald J. Trump speaks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., before departing, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. MediaPunch / BACKGRID

An exterior view shows the Broadcasting House of the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC in London, Britain, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. The BBC reported Tuesday it will close its BBC Three and BBC Scotland television channels in the spring as the corporation continues to make 500 million pounds ($669 million) of savings over two years. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images

“He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” Tobin explained, according to the Associated Press.

Should Trump fail to meet the Dec. 11 deadline, the president would be at risk of having his defamation case dismissed unless he is able to get the discovery phase extended.

Trump slapped the massive $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC last year in response to a 2024 documentary the outlet released that spliced different sections of Trump’s remarks to supporters at the White House ellipse before the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol.

The BBC’s editing made it appear as though Trump actively encouraged the riot.