Trump Seeks to Block BBC's Bid to Subpoena Ivanka and Trump Jr. in Defamation Case

Donald Trump is asking a federal court to deny the BBC's request to obtain records and testimony from his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son, Donald Trump Jr., in an ongoing $10 billion defamation lawsuit. The former president's legal team contends that the BBC's attempt to subpoena his family members is a "politically-driven" effort to gain leverage and harass them.

The BBC, which is defending itself against Trump's claim that its 2024 documentary deceptively edited his January 6, 2021 speech to imply he incited violence, seeks information from the Trump children regarding their knowledge of the events of that day. The broadcaster has encountered difficulties serving subpoenas in person due to the Secret Service protection afforded to the family and is requesting court permission for alternative service methods.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz, who recently took over the case, has yet to issue a ruling on the BBC's request. The lawsuit, filed by Trump in December 2025, alleges that the BBC's editing of his speech was "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious."