BBC seeks to subpoena Trump's children over defamation lawsuit
The BBC has asked a court for permission to subpoena Donald Trump's two eldest children and his son-in-law Jared Kushner for testimony and records, as part of its defense in the president's defamation lawsuit over a 2024 documentary.
The BBC has filed a court motion seeking authorization to serve subpoenas on Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, requesting testimony and records related to the events of 6 January 2021. The broadcaster is building its defense against a defamation lawsuit Trump filed against it in December.
Trump's lawsuit centers on the 2024 BBC documentary Trump, A Second Chance?, which he claims spliced together scenes from his 6 January speech to falsely suggest he directly urged supporters to attack the US Capitol.
In court filings, BBC lawyers argued they are entitled to explore Trump's intent behind the speech and how his audience could reasonably have understood it — including whether the message was delivered intentionally, how widely it reached his audience, and what harm may have resulted.
The BBC's lawyers said Trump's children and son-in-law "without question" have knowledge of several key incidents from that day, including efforts to persuade then-vice-president Mike Pence not to certify the 2020 election results. The BBC also alleged that Kushner helped draft a statement for Trump that would have condemned the Capitol violence.
The broadcaster had previously been unable to serve the subpoenas because Trump's immediate family members are protected by the US Secret Service. Earlier attempts to serve Ivanka Trump and Kushner at their Florida home were blocked by law enforcement.
Related legal developments
Last week, a federal judge granted Trump's request to block the BBC from accessing his financial records, after his lawyers said they would narrow the lawsuit to focus on reputational rather than business damages. A different judge had previously ordered Trump to begin turning over records detailing businesses owned by his family trust.
Trump has also claimed the BBC used artificial intelligence to alter his speech, an accusation the broadcaster denies. While the BBC has apologized for the editing, it maintains Trump has no valid grounds for a defamation claim. The BBC is represented by law firm Ballard Spahr, which has also defended other outlets, including the New York Times and the Associated Press, against lawsuits brought by Trump and his allies.
