Newsom Files $787M Lawsuit Against Fox News Over Edited Trump Call/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ California Governor Gavin Newsom has sued Fox News, alleging defamation over claims he lied about a call with President Trump. The suit seeks $787 million, echoing Fox’s Dominion settlement. Newsom accuses Fox of maliciously editing video to mislead viewers.
Quick Look: California Governor Sues Fox News
- Gavin Newsom files defamation lawsuit against Fox News
- Dispute centers on call timeline with President Trump
- Seeks $787 million in damages for alleged false reporting
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Sues Fox News Over Alleged Defamation in Trump Call Story
Deep Look
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit Friday against Fox News, accusing the network of knowingly spreading false information about a phone call he had with President Donald Trump during a tense period of National Guard deployments in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit, lodged in Delaware where Fox is incorporated, claims anchor Jesse Watters deliberately edited footage of Trump to falsely suggest Newsom lied about speaking with the president. Newsom is seeking $787 million in punitive damages—the same figure Fox paid to settle a high-profile defamation case with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023.
“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 said in a statement. “Americans deserve to trust information from major news outlets.”
Fox News responded by calling the suit a “frivolous publicity stunt” aimed at chilling free speech and vowed to fight it “vigorously.”
Disputed Timeline at Heart of Lawsuit
The conflict revolves around whether Newsom and Trump spoke about the National Guard deployment. Both Newsom and the White House said their call occurred late on June 6, 2025 (California time), but they deny the discussion included troop deployments. Trump announced sending the National Guard and later Marines to Los Angeles amid protests against his immigration policies.
On June 10, Trump claimed he spoke to Newsom “a day ago” regarding sending troops. Newsom publicly denied any such conversation, writing on X, “There was no call. Not even a voicemail.”
That same evening, Watters aired a segment on “Jesse Watters Primetime” featuring Trump’s comments—but edited out the part where Trump referenced the call happening “a day ago,” the suit says. Watters then accused Newsom of lying, with on-screen text reading “Gavin Lied About Trump’s Call.”
“Malicious Editing,” Newsom Says
Newsom’s legal team argues the selective editing “maliciously lied as a means to sabotage informed national discussion,” and that the timeline is critical because it marked an unprecedented moment when Trump deployed federal forces over a state governor’s objections.
“History was occurring in real time,” Newsom’s attorneys wrote in a letter demanding a retraction and on-air apology from Fox.
While defamation lawsuits are notoriously challenging for public figures to win, they often result in costly settlements and lengthy legal battles.
Trump himself has aggressively pursued litigation against media outlets, including pending settlement talks with CBS News over a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Just this week, Trump’s legal team threatened lawsuits against CNN and The New York Times over coverage of U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
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