Gavin Newsom Sues Fox News Over Trump Call Defamation

WILMINGTON, Del. — California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, alleging the network misrepresented his phone call with President Donald Trump amid recent immigration protests.

Newsom claims that Fox News falsely accused him of lying about the timing of his last conversation with Trump. According to Newsom, he spoke with the president on June 6 for about 16 minutes but did not discuss the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, which Trump announced shortly after.

“By disregarding basic journalistic ethics in favor of malicious propaganda, Fox continues to play a major role in the further erosion of informed representative government,” the lawsuit states.

The complaint contends that Fox’s statements were intended to protect Trump and smear Newsom, raising concerns during a time of national unrest.

“Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?” Fox host Jesse Watters questioned on air, displaying a banner that read, “Gavin lied about Trump’s call.”

In response, Newsom’s attorneys assert that Fox deliberately misled viewers by omitting critical details about the call. The governor refuted Trump’s claim that he spoke with him “a day ago,” stating there was no subsequent contact.

“Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn’t even know who he’s talking to,” Newsom said in a statement on social media.

Fox News stated it would defend the case vigorously, calling Newsom’s lawsuit a “transparent publicity stunt” intended to suppress free speech. “We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed,” a spokesperson added.

Newsom expressed he is willing to drop the lawsuit if Fox retracted its statements and issued an on-air apology, similar to the retraction Fox made in the Dominion Voting Systems case.

The political landscape surrounding Newsom and Trump has been tense, with past cooperation on issues like wildfire relief overshadowed by disagreements on military deployments in urban areas.

First Amendment advocates have expressed concerns about the implications of Newsom’s lawsuit, warning it could send a chilling effect on journalism. “Lawsuits like this risk becoming a form of censorship,” said Katherine Jacobsen from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Newsom seeks not only punitive damages but also reparations for harm to his reputation, as he believes in the public’s right to trust major news outlets.