Demanding close to 1 billion dollars in a defamation lawsuit, California Governor Gavin Newsom is using legal warfare against Fox News.
The liberal governor claims Fox News host Jesse Watters falsely accused him of lying about phone calls with President Donald Trump during the recent Los Angeles immigration protests.
The exact amount Newsom seeks mirrors the settlement amount Fox paid to Dominion Voting Systems.
“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 stated.
He added, “Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine.”
Filed in Delaware Superior Court where Fox News is incorporated, the lawsuit centers on what conservatives view as yet another attack on right-leaning media by progressive politicians.
Newsom alleges that Watters’ program deceptively edited a video of President Trump to support claims that Newsom had lied about their communications during recent immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles.
At issue is the timing of phone calls between the president and the governor.
Newsom’s legal team claims Fox News concealed President Trump’s statement that they had spoken “a day ago.”
They also assert that the outlet manipulated the presentation of a call log to make it appear Newsom was being dishonest about their communications.
President Trump had provided Fox with screenshots showing conversations on June 6 Pacific time and June 7 Eastern time.
Jesse Watters did not mince words when questioning the California governor’s credibility on his program.
“Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?” Watters asked viewers, with the show displaying a chyron reading “Gavin Lied About Trump’s Call.”
Newsom’s lawsuit comes amid a contentious period when President Trump ordered National Guard troops to Los Angeles this month during protests over deportation policies.
The timing suggests this legal action may be politically motivated rather than focused on journalistic standards.
The California governor has reportedly offered to drop the lawsuit if Fox issues a formal retraction and Watters apologizes on air.
Newsom plans to donate any proceeds from the lawsuit to anti-Trump causes, revealing the political nature of this legal challenge.
Mark Bankson leads Newsom’s legal team. He is known for his involvement in high-profile defamation cases, including one against Alex Jones.
The filing contains inflammatory language that seems designed to insult President Trump rather than address legal merits.
“It is perhaps unsurprising that a near-octogenarian with a history of delusionary public statements and unhinged late-night social media screeds might confuse the dates,” the lawyers wrote.
“But Fox’s decision to cover up for President Trump’s error cannot be so easily dismissed,” they continued.
The lawsuit’s $787 million demand precisely matches the settlement amount Fox News paid to Dominion Voting Systems in April 2023 over allegations related to the 2020 election.
