Defamation Lawsuit Heats Up: BBC Seeks Subpoenas for Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr.

The BBC is taking a bold step in its defense against a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump. In a recent court filing, the broadcaster has requested permission to subpoena Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr., all of whom are closely tied to the President.

According to the filing, the BBC alleges that the trio has ‘personal knowledge’ of the President’s intentions when he delivered a speech just before the January 6th Capitol riots in 2021. The speech in question was edited by the BBC, which led to an editing error that gave the ‘mistaken impression’ that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.

The BBC has apologized for this editing error, but President Trump claims that the broadcaster intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively ‘doctored’ the speech. In response, the BBC is seeking to subpoena the Trump children and Kushner to gather more information about the President’s intentions.

The BBC’s request to subpoena the trio comes after previous attempts to serve them in person were unsuccessful. In one instance, a BBC legal representative was refused entry to their home in Florida due to a police checkpoint, and in another, a representative was rebuffed by a concierge at Trump Tower in New York.

The BBC argues that it is reasonable to serve the subpoenas via email and certified mail, as this method is ‘reasonably calculated to ensure receipt of the subpoena by the witness[es]’. A trial date has been scheduled for February 2027 in the case.

In a related development, the BBC has also requested permission to serve the subpoenas via email and certified mail, citing the unusual circumstances surrounding the previous attempts to serve the papers in person.

The filing states, ‘Though the problem that the BBC faces in attempting to serve subpoenas on the Third Parties is unusual, perhaps even novel, the solution is straightforward: this Court can and should authorize the BBC to serve the subpoenas via methods, other than personal service, that are ‘reasonably calculated to ensure receipt of the subpoena by the witness[es]’.

The case is a high-stakes defamation lawsuit, with President Trump seeking $10 billion in damages from the BBC. The outcome of the case will have significant implications for the media industry and the way that news organizations cover politics.