Gavin Newsom Files $787 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox News Over Trump Call Claims
California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News, alleging misrepresentation of a call with President Trump by anchor Jesse Watters.
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Overview
- California Governor Gavin Newsom has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Fox News, seeking $787 million in damages for alleged false reporting.
- The lawsuit claims that Fox News anchor Jesse Watters edited key information from a clip involving President Trump and Newsom.
- Filed in Delaware federal court, the lawsuit aims to halt the broadcast of what Newsom describes as false and deceptive content.
- Fox News has responded to the lawsuit, accusing Newsom of attempting to suppress free speech that is critical of him.
- The controversy centers around Trump's claims of a phone call with Newsom, which the governor denies ever took place.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the lawsuit as a significant legal challenge against Fox News, emphasizing Newsom's claims of defamation and the potential implications for media accountability. They highlight the context of previous settlements, suggesting a pattern of misinformation, while also noting Fox's defense as an attack on free speech, reflecting a polarized media landscape.
"Newsom’s suit argues that by editing the material, Fox “maliciously lied as a means to sabotage informed national discussion.”"
Associated Press"Newsom is suing as an individual, not in his capacity as governor."
USA TODAY"The lawsuit, seeking more than $787 million and filed in Delaware Superior Court, claims that Fox "operates as a propaganda machine for President Trump’s radical right-wing agenda," citing the nearly $800-million settlement the network reached with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 over its coverage of the 2020 election, which Trump lost."
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FAQ
Governor Gavin Newsom alleges that Fox News defamed him by misrepresenting a phone call he had with President Trump, specifically through edited and false reporting by Fox News anchor Jesse Watters about the call related to the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles.
The $787 million amount sought by Governor Newsom is significant because it matches the $787.5 million settlement Fox News recently paid to Dominion Voting Systems after a defamation lawsuit, signaling a similar demand scale in this defamation case.
The defamation dispute centers on Fox News' claims that Newsom lied about his phone calls with President Trump regarding the June deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles amid protests, which Newsom denies, stating the call did occur but not about the protests or National Guard.
The lawsuit was filed in Delaware federal court, which is significant because Fox Corporation, the parent company of Fox News, is incorporated in Delaware, making it the appropriate legal venue for the case.
Fox News responded by accusing Governor Newsom of attempting to suppress free speech that is critical of him, framing the lawsuit as an effort to silence critics rather than addressing the substance of the allegations.
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