RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesThe broadcaster argues the Trump family was close to president as he worked on infamous January 6 speech at heart of the case
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The BBC is seeking to subpoena the president’s children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, as well as his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as part of the Republican’s ongoing defamation suit against the broadcaster .
In a Friday filing in Florida federal court, the BBC argued that the trio “without question have personal knowledge” about President Trump’s mindset surrounding his speech the day of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The $10 billion suit , filed in late 2025, alleges the BBC used misleading editing in a 2024 documentary to splice together disparate parts of the speech and make it sound like Trump was calling for violence, when in fact he told demonstrators to peacefully head to the Capitol.
The broadcaster has apologized for the edit but argues the president doesn’t have grounds to bring the suit.
The BBC argues that subpoenaing Kushner and the Trumps would help explain the president’s thinking around the speech , ultimately helping answer what the president meant by his remarks and whether the documentary meaningfully altered his message.
Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump were in the Oval Office on January 6 with the president as he revised the speech, then subsequently watched him deliver it from the Ellipse, shortly before the Capitol riot, according to testimony from the January 6 committee in Congress.
Ivanka Trump remained with the president after the speech, while both Trump Jr. and Kushner advised the White House and its allies on how to respond to the escalating violence at the Capitol.
The Friday filing claims security around the Trumps has prevented the BBC from serving them with subpoenas.
“Law enforcement officers” stopped the BBC from serving Ivanka Trump and Kushner at their home, directing the broadcaster to coordinate with the Secret Service, which then claimed it couldn’t accept the documents on their behalf, the BBC alleges.
A similar scene allegedly played out at Trump Tower, where security stopped the subpoena from being delivered, the BBC claims.
The president’s legal team also allegedly rejected an attempt to serve Kushner and the Trumps through him, the BBC alleges.
The Independent has contacted the president’s lawyers, the Trump Organization and the Secret Service for comment.
In a court filing, a legal adviser to the Secret Service said the agency could not pass along the subpoenas.
“The United States Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency responsible for protective operations and is not legally authorized to accept service of civil subpoenas on behalf of individual protectees, nor does the agency facilitate or advise on the execution of civil process for third parties,” attorney Troy Epstein said. “Security protocols implemented at protectee locations exist strictly to maintain physical security and operational safety, and are not established to impede lawful judicial proceedings.”
Last month, a federal judge ruled that President Trump must provide detailed information about his companies’ finances as part of the lawsuit, though the court later temporarily paused that request.
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