California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News, accusing the network of knowingly broadcasting false claims about a phone call he had with former President Donald Trump. The complaint, filed in Delaware Superior Court, alleges Fox intentionally distorted facts to portray Newsom as dishonest during a sensitive period following federal immigration raids in California.
According to the filing, Newsom spoke with Trump late on June 6 or early June 7, 2025. Days later, Trump told reporters he had spoken with the governor “a day ago,” a claim Newsom refuted. Fox News host Jesse Watters echoed Trump’s version on-air, stating, “Why would Newsom lie?” with a chyron reading “Gavin Lied About Trump’s Call.” Newsom’s team says this was designed to damage his reputation and mislead the public.
Newsom is seeking punitive damages matching the $787.5 million Fox paid Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 and additional compensation for reputational harm. He accuses the network of acting with actual malice, the legal standard for defamation against public figures.
In a post on X, Newsom said, “Enough of their lies,” and offered to drop the suit if Fox and Watters retract the claims and apologize on air. Fox called the lawsuit a “frivolous publicity stunt” and pledged to fight it.
The lawsuit adds to ongoing tensions between media outlets and public officials in the post-2024 political landscape. Newsom, widely seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, has frequently appeared on Fox News but now alleges the network crossed legal boundaries to protect Trump, a favorite among its conservative audience.
Fox Corp, the network’s parent company, is incorporated in Delaware, where the suit was filed.