Editor's note: After this story was published, Fox News sent Townhall the following statement:
"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.”
Original:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing Fox News for defamation.
In the lawsuit filed Friday, Newsom alleged that Fox News should pay him $787 million after host Jesse Watters claimed Newsom lied about his phone calls with President Donald Trump regarding National Guard troops in Los Angeles to mitigate the anti-immigration enforcement riots.
No more lies.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 27, 2025
I’m suing Fox News for $787 million.https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB pic.twitter.com/qKoRaxHRDW
The lawsuit was first reported by POLITICO:
Newsom’s lawyers said he is prepared to drop the lawsuit if Fox retracts its claims and Watters apologizes to him on air.
A copy of Newsom’s complaint filed in the Delaware Superior Court — in the same state where Fox News is incorporated — claims he last spoke with Trump for approximately 16 minutes by phone on June 7, one day before the president deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops over Newsom’s objections to quell protests in Los Angeles.
Trump, however, told reporters on June 10 he had spoken with Newsom “a day ago,” implying a conversation took place the same day 700 U.S. Marines were deployed to Los Angeles. Newsom refuted Trump’s claim in a post on X minutes later.
That evening, Watters played an edited clip of Trump’s remarks on air before asking, “Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?” He simultaneously showed a screenshot of the president’s call history, obtained by Fox host John Roberts, showing Trump’s last call with Newsom was on June 7, as the governor had claimed.
Newsom’s lawyers argue the incident meets the legal standard for defamation and potentially harmed the governor’s standing with voters in future elections. Additionally, they claimed it violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, which outlaws “deceptive and unfair business practices.”
“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 told POLITICO in a statement. “Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine.”
Weeks ago, the drama about this phone call played out on X.
In a meeting with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump shared that he spoke with Newsom on June 9 about the riots in Los Angeles. Newsom retorted that “there was no call” or voicemail.
There was no call. Not even a voicemail.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 10, 2025
Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn’t even know who he’s talking to. https://t.co/y7TJUhUZGI
Join the conversation as a VIP Member