SAN FRANCISCO - AUGUST 25: San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom talks with reporters before test driving a plug-in version of the popular Toyota Prius that is one of four on loan to the city for evaluation August 25, 2010 in San Francisco, California. With sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars expected to increase in the coming years, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has set aside $5 million to increase the number of electric car charging stations to 5,000 around the Bay Area. There are currently 120 stations in the area. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Sacramento, California – California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News, seeking $787 million in damages—an amount deliberately mirroring the network’s 2023 settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. The complaint, filed Friday in Delaware Superior Court, accuses the network of knowingly airing false claims about a June phone call between Newsom and former President Donald Trump regarding the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
At the center of the dispute is a segment aired by Fox News host Jesse Watters, who suggested Newsom lied about the timing and existence of the phone call. The lawsuit alleges that Watters broadcasted a selectively edited clip of Trump, misrepresented the facts, and framed Newsom as dishonest—all while presenting evidence that, paradoxically, validated the governor’s timeline.
The case marks a sharp escalation in Newsom’s long-simmering feud with Fox News and Trump-aligned media. Filed in Newsom’s personal capacity, the suit underscores a broader political and legal strategy by the Democratic governor, who has signaled ambitions for national office. According to aides, any damages awarded would be directed toward anti-Trump advocacy groups, while any penalties from the suit would be covered by Newsom’s campaign account.
Newsom’s complaint is particularly notable in light of the strict legal standard governing defamation claims against public officials, established under New York Times v. Sullivan. His lawyers argue that Fox’s conduct rises to the level of “actual malice,” asserting that the network intentionally manipulated Trump’s remarks to portray Newsom as deceitful. They further accuse Fox of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law by engaging in deceptive business practices.
In a letter to Fox News, Newsom’s attorneys mocked both the network’s editorial integrity and Trump’s credibility, writing, “It is perhaps unsurprising that a near-octogenarian with a history of delusionary public statements… might confuse the dates. But Fox’s decision to cover up for President Trump’s error cannot be so easily dismissed.”
This legal challenge comes amid a broader pattern of media litigation. In recent years, Trump himself has filed lawsuits against multiple networks, including ABC and CBS, claiming defamation and misrepresentation. Newsom’s case, while rooted in a distinct political narrative, appears to follow a similar path—turning the tools of media accountability against the conservative outlets that have long criticized him.
While Fox News has yet to comment, Newsom’s message is direct. “No more lies,” he wrote on social media. His lawsuit is not just about correcting a single on-air claim—it’s about challenging the machinery that, in his words, “lies to the American people on Donald Trump’s behalf.”
