In a bold legal move, California Governor Gavin Newsom has decided to take Fox News to court over what he claims are defamatory comments made by the network and its host Jesse Watters. According to a report by CBS News, Newsom has filed a lawsuit seeking a staggering $787 million in damages. The same amount was previously settled by Fox News with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023. The core accusation is that Fox News misrepresented the timeline of a call between Newsom and former President Trump, a detail Newsom argues to be pivotal amidst the National Guard's deployment in Los Angeles during protests.
The governor's lawyers have further accused Fox News of functioning as "a propaganda machine" for Trump's agenda, according to NBC News' first reporting on the lawsuit. The claim rests on Watters' June 10 statement questioning Newsom's honesty regarding his communication with the president: "Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him? Why would he do that?" This has prompted Newsom to not just seek a retraction and apology from Fox News but also challenge the network to correct what he perceives to be "blatantly unethical" practices.
Fox News has labelled the lawsuit as "frivolous," and a "publicity stunt" designed to "chill free speech critical" of the governor, as reported in a statement provided to CBS News. They have expressed intentions to vigorously defend against these accusations in court, looking forward to a potential dismissal of the case. In contrast, Newsom's team is working to hold Fox accountable, with Newsom stating on record, "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," according to statements obtained by CBS News.
The lawsuit furthermore alleges that Fox News anchor Jesse Watters deliberately edited a clip of Trump to misinform viewers about the call with Newsom. As detailed by an AP News report, Newsom's legal battle focuses on the details of a phone conversation with the president that Fox News allegedly misrepresented. As the governor's suit argues, the editing by Fox "maliciously lied as a means to sabotage informed national discussion." Notably, the lawsuit can potentially tie up Fox News in a costly legal entanglement, despite the high burden of proof associated with defamation cases.
In this heated legal clash, Governor Newsom appears to stand firmly on the premise that accurate reporting during critical historical moments is non-negotiable. His lawyers, as mentioned in a letter noted by AP News, stress the importance of right knowing when Trump last spoke with Newsom considering it "represented an unprecedented moment." They assert that "History was occurring in real time" and that the truth of their discourse is paramount amid the political and civil unrest of those days. Fox News, confronted by this substantial lawsuit, is currently preparing to mount their defense against Newsom's assertions.
