WASHINGTON — The BBC is seeking documents and testimony from several members of President Donald Trump’s family as the British broadcaster prepares its defense against his $10 billion defamation lawsuit over a controversial Panorama documentary.
Court records show that BBC attorneys have attempted to subpoena Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, arguing that the three may have firsthand information relevant to Trump’s intentions surrounding his January 6, 2021, speech before the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The president sued the BBC and related entities in Florida last December over a 2024 episode of Panorama. His lawsuit alleges that the documentary misleadingly combined separate portions of his January 6 speech in a way that distorted what he told supporters.
The BBC has acknowledged that the editing created an inaccurate impression and apologized. However, the broadcaster disputes Trump’s contention that the mistake amounted to legally actionable defamation.
BBC Says Family Members Could Have Relevant Evidence
According to court filings, BBC lawyers contend that Trump’s children and son-in-law could provide information about what the president intended to communicate before and during the speech.
Citing material previously gathered during a congressional investigation, the BBC’s filing says Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump were present while their father worked on and delivered the speech.
The filing also points to Jared Kushner’s alleged involvement in preparing a proposed statement that would have condemned violence.
BBC attorneys argue that such information could be relevant to Trump’s claims that the documentary deliberately misrepresented him and damaged his reputation and business interests.
Attempts to Deliver Subpoenas Unsuccessful
The broadcaster is asking the court for permission to deliver the subpoenas through email and certified mail after efforts to personally serve the three family members were unsuccessful.
According to the filing, a representative attempted to deliver documents to Ivanka Trump and Kushner at their Florida residence but was unable to pass a security checkpoint. The filing says the Secret Service subsequently indicated it could not accept the documents on their behalf.
Attempts were also reportedly made to serve Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower in New York. On one occasion, a concierge reportedly said the person responsible for accepting such documents might have been at lunch. During another attempt, the representative was told that the legal department was unavailable.
BBC Wants Case Dismissed
The BBC has asked the federal court to throw out Trump’s lawsuit, arguing that the documentary does not satisfy the legal requirements for defamation.
The broadcaster has also challenged claims concerning the documentary’s distribution in the United States. Trump’s attorneys recently acknowledged that they did not have evidence showing the program had been available through several U.S.-accessible BBC platforms that had previously been cited.
Trump has since agreed to remove the BBC’s commercial division, BBC Studios, from part of the litigation after the broadcaster argued that the entity did not participate in producing the documentary.
Financial Records Also at Center of Dispute
Another battle involves Trump’s financial information.
Because the president alleges that the documentary harmed his business interests, the BBC has requested certain financial records as part of the discovery process. Trump’s attorneys have resisted that request, arguing that releasing the information could cause him irreparable harm.
A judge recently granted Trump additional time before he must provide the disputed financial documents.
Unless the case is dismissed or resolved beforehand, a trial is currently scheduled for February 2027.
The legal fight now places not only the president but potentially members of his immediate family at the center of a high-profile dispute involving media editing, presidential speech and the limits of U.S. defamation law.
The Haitian Tribune | U.S. & International News
