California Gov. Gavin Newsom has filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News, alleging the network knowingly broadcast false claims about his phone calls with former President Donald Trump. The amount mirrors the $787.5 million Fox News paid Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 to settle a similar defamation case.Newsom’s lawsuit, filed Friday morning in Delaware Superior Court, alleges that Fox News host Jesse Watters falsely claimed the governor lied about when he last spoke with Trump. Watters’ program aired a misleadingly edited clip of Trump suggesting he called Newsom more recently than he actually did, even as Fox simultaneously showed call records proving Newsom’s timeline.“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,” Newsom told POLITICO. “Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine.”Fox News dismissed the lawsuit as a “frivolous” attempt to stifle free speech, calling it a “transparent publicity stunt” and vowing to vigorously fight the case.Public officials face a high legal bar in defamation suits due to the Supreme Court’s New York Times v. Sullivan precedent. However, Newsom’s lawsuit marks an escalation in his ongoing feud with Trump and conservative media. Newsom is suing in his personal capacity and has pledged to cover any potential penalties himself, with proceeds from the case to go to anti-Trump causes.Newsom’s lawyers argue the incident meets the legal standard for defamation and has harmed his standing with voters. They also allege it violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, which prohibits deceptive business practices. The complaint details that Newsom’s last call with Trump was on June 7 — a day before Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles without Newsom’s consent. Trump, however, told reporters on June 10 he had spoken to Newsom more recently, contradicting the governor’s account.That evening, Watters aired Trump’s comments and asked viewers, “Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?” — even though the on-screen call log showed Newsom was telling the truth.In a sharply worded five-page letter to Fox, Newsom’s attorneys, Mark Bankston and Michael Teter, ridiculed both Trump’s and Fox’s credibility, writing: “It is perhaps unsurprising that a near-octogenarian with a history of delusional public statements might confuse the dates. But Fox’s decision to cover up for President Trump’s error cannot be so easily dismissed.”Newsom’s relationship with Fox News has long been fraught yet symbiotic. He’s appeared on the network for decades, often sparring with high-profile hosts like Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, while simultaneously criticizing Fox’s rightward tilt. In 2023, he accused Hannity on-air of helping Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “cheat” in a televised debate.Newsom’s dynamic with Trump has followed a similarly tense pattern, with moments of cooperation — like hugging Trump during a wildfire tour — offset by fierce clashes over policies and public statements.The lawsuit comes as Newsom becomes an increasingly prominent Democratic voice opposing Trump’s agenda. Just last week, the New York Post mocked Newsom on its front page for allegedly vacationing in Napa while Trump called in the National Guard. Newsom’s office said he was at a cancer fundraiser honoring his late mother.Newsom’s legal team is experienced in high-profile defamation cases. Attorney Mark Bankston previously secured a $49.3 million verdict against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for defaming parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook massacre.Newsom’s lawyers say they are willing to drop the lawsuit if Fox retracts its claims and Watters issues a public apology.
