Newsom Files $787M Defamation Suit Against Fox News Over Trump Call Claim
California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News, alleging the network falsely claimed he lied about a phone call with President Donald Trump.
The suit, filed Friday in Delaware Superior Court, centres on a June 10 broadcast by Fox News host Jesse Watters. The segment aired an edited clip of Trump asserting he had spoken to Newsom “a day ago” about deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles. Watters then asked, “Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?” while an on-screen graphic read “Gavin Lied About Trump’s Call.”
Newsom contends this was false and misleading. He said he spoke to Trump on June 7 for about 16 minutes, two days before the president — over Newsom’s objections — deployed 2,000 National Guard troops.
In a post on X, Newsom pushed back on Trump’s claim: “There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn’t even know who he’s talking to.”
According to the suit, Watters’ program also showed a screenshot of Trump’s call history, confirming June 7 was their last contact, aligning with Newsom’s account.
The $787 million figure mirrors Fox’s 2023 defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. Newsom is also demanding a retraction and on-air apology, threatening to drop the suit if Fox complies.
“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 said. “Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine.”
