BBC aims to subpoena Trump’s inner circle – To shore up its defence against a $10 bn defamation claim, the BBC’s legal team is asking a UK court to serve subpoenas to Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The aim: gather testimony about how the president’s speech was edited for a 2024 Panorama episode.
Trump’s suit alleges the broadcaster stitched together two different parts of his 2021 Capitol speech, creating a false impression that he endorsed violence. The BBC has already issued a formal apology over the clip but maintains it didn’t cross the defamation line.
Filings in May revealed the legal team tried to serve physical copies of the subpoenas, but faced resistance: a Florida checkpoint turned up their hand at Ivanka’s Florida home, while a Trump Tower concierge blocked access at the New York tower. The requests were ultimately sent by email and certified mail, according to the court documents.
The subpoenas seek “personal knowledge” the Trump family had of the president’s intent when he drafted the speech, so the BBC believes their evidence is central to the case. If the family refuses to comply, a penalty could be imposed, adding tense stakes to the courtroom drama.
With a trial slated for February 2027, the case is still unfolding. Trump’s lawyers have undermined claims that the Panorama episode appeared on US platforms, and are still fighting for timely financial disclosure from the BBC. The battle is stretching the limits of media law, U.S. politics, and family loyalty in one of the world’s most public legal dramas.
