California Gov. Newsom sues Fox News over Trump call defamation

California Governor Sues Fox News for Defamation

California Gov. Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, seeking damages of at least $787 million over allegedly defamatory comments made by the network regarding a phone call with President Donald Trump.

“No more lies,” Newsom tweeted when announcing the lawsuit, which was filed in Superior Court in Delaware, where Fox News is incorporated.

The lawsuit mirrors the amount Fox Corp. and other Fox entities agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems earlier in the year to settle a defamation lawsuit. Newsom’s suit targets comments made by Fox News anchor Jesse Waters, who accused Newsom of lying about a phone call with Trump.

The complaint alleges that Fox News has a strong bias in favor of the President and harbors ill will towards Newsom due to his progressive values.

Newsom’s lawyers have demanded a retraction of the false claims and a formal apology from Fox News in exchange for dropping the lawsuit.

In response, Fox News labeled Newsom’s lawsuit as a “transparent publicity stunt” and vowed to vigorously defend against it.

The lawsuit states that Newsom and Trump did have a phone call, but the details of the conversation are irrelevant to the case. Trump’s claim that he spoke to Newsom “a day ago” was disputed by the governor.

After Trump’s statement, Watters on his show accused Newsom of lying about the phone call, which led to the defamation lawsuit.

Newsom emphasized the importance of holding news outlets accountable for spreading misinformation and vowed to continue fighting against Fox News’ alleged propaganda.

Overall, the lawsuit highlights the ongoing tensions between Newsom, Trump, and Fox News, underscoring the broader issues of media accountability and free speech in the current political climate.