The BBC is seeking to subpoena President Donald Trump’s two eldest children and son-in-law as the broadcaster mounts its defense against his $10 billion defamation lawsuit.
In a motion filed Friday in federal court in Miami, the BBC asked a judge for permission to serve subpoenas on Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner for testimony and records related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Politico reported.
The broadcaster argued that the three could have information relevant to determining Trump’s intent when he addressed supporters before the attack on the U.S. Capitol and how his remarks could reasonably have been understood.
According to the filing, Don Jr. and Ivanka were with their father as he revised and delivered his speech, while Kushner was involved in drafting a statement for Trump that would have condemned the violence at the Capitol.
The BBC said previous attempts to serve the subpoenas were unsuccessful because of the family members’ Secret Service protection. An attempt to serve Ivanka and her husband at their Florida home was blocked by law enforcement, according to the filing, while an effort to serve Don Jr. at Trump Tower in New York was also unsuccessful. The broadcaster is asking the court to authorize alternative methods of service.
Trump sued the BBC in December over its editing of his Jan. 6 speech in the 2024 documentary “Trump, A Second Chance?” The program spliced together remarks Trump made more than 50 minutes apart, creating 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. The president is seeking $5 billion for defamation and another $5 billion under Florida’s deceptive trade practices law.
Trump’s lawyers have opposed the BBC’s effort to subpoena his family members, according to the filing.
Representatives for the BBC and Trump did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment.
