The BBC moved to subpoena Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner for testimony and records related to Jan. 6, 2021, as part of its defense in the president’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit concerning a network documentary centered on the January 6 insurrection.
The legal clash between the British broadcaster and the American president intensified in a Miami federal court on Friday. Lawyers representing the network filed a motion asking a judge for authorization to serve subpoenas on three members of the president’s immediate family to secure their testimony and records.
Documentary Editing and the Core Dispute
The underlying lawsuit stems from a 2024 television program titled Trump, A Second Chance?
which featured footage from the president’s speech preceding the attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to court filings, the documentary spliced together remarks that Trump delivered more than 50 minutes apart from one another.
The network acknowledged that the editing generated an unintended impression. The broadcaster stated that the production created what the BBC later acknowledged was the mistaken impression that he had directly called for violent action.
The broadcaster apologized for the edit but denied that it defamed Trump.
While the network offered an apology for the edit, it denied that the program defamed the president. The lawsuit seeks substantial damages, including $5 billion for defamation and another $5 billion under Florida deceptive trade practices law .
Subpoena Strategy and Secret Service Hurdles
To mount its defense, the network argues it must probe the president’s state of mind when he addressed supporters before the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The court documents maintain that the broadcaster is entitled to examine Trump’s intention behind the speech and the reasonable impressions formed by the audience.
The network’s legal team identified Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner as key witnesses who possess direct knowledge of events on January 6, 2021. Court papers note that the two eldest children were with their father as he revised and delivered his remarks, while Kushner allegedly assisted in drafting a statement intended to condemn the violence at the Capitol .
Previous efforts to serve the family members proved unsuccessful. Because they are immediate family members of the sitting president, they receive protection from the U.S. Secret Service. Attempts to serve Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner at their Florida residence were blocked by law enforcement officials, while an effort to serve Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower in New York also failed according to court filings.
Jurisdiction Fights and Financial Records Rulings
The legal maneuver over subpoenas runs parallel to other high-stakes battles in the case.
The BBC has maintained that the president lacks the grounds for a defamation lawsuit.
Meanwhile, the scope of financial discovery has shifted. A federal judge recently granted a request from the president to block the broadcaster from accessing his financial records after his attorneys indicated they would narrow the lawsuit to focus on reputational harm rather than business impacts .
Broader Legal Landscape for the Broadcaster
The network is defending itself through the law firm Ballard Spahr. The same firm has represented other major publications facing litigation from the president and his allies, including the New York Times and the Associated Press .
The case stands alongside several other active media lawsuits, including a $10 billion action against the Wall Street Journal over reporting on Trump’s alleged contributions to Jeffrey Epstein’s birthday book and recent subpoenas directed at journalists reporting on Air Force One security concerns.
Next Steps in Federal Court
Legal representatives for both the network and the president did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the latest Friday motion filed in Miami. The federal court must now decide whether to grant alternative methods of service for the subpoenas given the Secret Service protections surrounding the family members.
