President Donald Trump filed a motion on August 22, 2026, to prevent the BBC from subpoenaing his family members in relation to the BBC's defense against Trump's defamation lawsuit. The motion was a response to the BBC's request to the Florida federal court to allow subpoenas for Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner. Trump's legal team described the BBC's request as a politically motivated action and requested the court to deny the BBC's motion.
The BBC's motion, filed on August 14, argued that they have been unable to serve subpoenas on the Trump family members due to protection from U.S. Secret Service agents. The BBC claimed that the family members possess relevant records for the case. In their filing, the BBC's lawyers stated they attempted to resolve the issue without court intervention and sought to have the Secret Service accept the subpoenas on behalf of the family.
Trump's lawsuit against the BBC, filed in December 2025, alleges that the BBC edited his January 6, 2021 speech in a misleading manner as part of a documentary, seeking $10 billion in damages. The BBC had initially sought access to Trump's personal financial records for its defense, but this was blocked when Trump appealed to stay discovery proceedings. The case is currently overseen by District Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz, who was appointed by Trump.