California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, accusing the network of defamation regarding a phone call he had with President Donald Trump earlier this month. The lawsuit, filed in Delaware, seeks damages of at least $787 million and aims to prevent Fox News from broadcasting or posting segments that falsely claim Newsom lied about the call.
The lawsuit specifically targets comments made by Fox News anchor Jesse Watters, who alleged that Newsom was dishonest about the conversation with President Trump. According to CNBC, Newsom’s legal action claims that Fox News was motivated to distort the truth to support President Trump amidst their ongoing disagreements over the deployment of California National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles due to protests against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The amount sought by Newsom mirrors the $787 million settlement Fox Corp. and its cable networks paid to Dominion Voting Systems in April 2023 to resolve a defamation lawsuit related to the 2020 presidential election. Newsom stated to Politico, “If Fox News wants to lie to the American people on Donald Trump’s behalf, it should face consequences — just like it did in the Dominion case.”
The lawsuit reflects ongoing tensions between Newsom and Fox News, with Newsom vowing to continue challenging the network’s coverage until it commits to truthful reporting. Fox News has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
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