Gavin Newsom files $787M defamation suit against Fox News over claim he lied about call with Trump

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately airing a misleading video to paint him as a liar over a phone call with President Donald Trump during the Los Angeles riots.

At the center of the controversy is a clip aired by anchor Jesse Watters, which Newsom claims was deceptively edited to suggest he denied a call that actually took place.

In the lawsuit filed on Friday, June 27, Newsom is seeking a staggering $787 million in damages, the same amount Fox News paid in its high-profile 2023 settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.

Gavin Newsom says Fox News should face consequences if it wants to lie to Americans on behalf of Donald Trump

The lawsuit claims that Fox News anchor Jesse Watters intentionally removed crucial context from a video clip of Donald Trump discussing a phone call with California Governor Gavin Newsom. By airing the edited version, Watters allegedly created the false impression that Newsom had lied about the call ever happening.

Filed in Delaware, where Fox News is incorporated, the lawsuit seeks $787 million in punitive damages. In a statement included in the lawsuit, Newsom asserted, “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."

He added, "I believe the American people should be able to trust the information they receive from a major news outlet," as per US NEWS.

Newsom is also asking the court to stop Fox News from airing what he describes as a “false, deceptive, and fraudulent” video and related commentary, which he says inaccurately claims he lied about the timing of a phone call with Trump amid the protests in Los Angeles over ICE raids.

Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit gives details of a phone call with Donald Trump

Governor Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit centers on the timing and details of a phone call with President Donald Trump.

According to both Newsom and the White House, the two spoke late at night on June 6 in California, when it was already June 7 on the East Coast.

Although the lawsuit does not focus on the content of the conversation, Newsom has stated that Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard was never discussed during the call. 

The next day, Trump publicly announced the deployment, saying the troops were necessary to protect federal buildings from ongoing protests. He later added that Marines would also be sent to the area.

On June 10, around 700 Marines arrived in Los Angeles. That same day, Trump told reporters he had spoken to Newsom “a day ago” about the decision. In response, the governor posted on the social platform X (formerly Twitter), insisting no such call had occurred. “There was no call. Not even a voicemail,” he wrote.

That evening, Fox News host Watters aired a segment featuring a clip of the president discussing the call. According to the lawsuit, the clip was edited to remove Trump’s statement that the call had taken place “a day ago.” 

Watters also referenced call logs shared by another Fox News reporter, John Roberts, showing a conversation between Trump and Newsom on June 6. On-air, Watters questioned, “Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him? Why would he do that?” The segment also displayed the chyron, “Gavin Lied About Trump's Call.”

Newsom’s legal team argues that Fox News deliberately edited the footage to deceive viewers. They stress that the exact timing of the call is significant, as it occurred during a critical and controversial period when Trump deployed federal forces despite Newsom’s opposition, an act they describe as “unprecedented.”

In a letter to Fox News, Newsom’s attorneys demanded a public retraction and on-air apology. They wrote, “History was occurring in real time. It is precisely why reporters asked President Trump the very question that prompted this matter: when did he last speak with Governor Newsom."

Fox News responds to the lawsuit filed by Gavin Newsom

Fox News responded to the lawsuit by stating it plans to challenge the case aggressively and expects it to be thrown out.

In a strongly worded statement, the network dismissed the lawsuit, saying, "Gov Newsom’s transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him."

"We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed," the network added.