SAN FRANCISCO - California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News, alleging the network knowingly aired false information about a phone call between Newsom and President Donald Trump [1][2][3]. The lawsuit, filed on June 27, 2025, in Delaware Superior Court, centers around Fox News' coverage of a dispute over the timing of a call between Newsom and Trump regarding the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles [4][7].

The legal action stems from a public disagreement earlier this month when protests erupted in Los Angeles over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts [8]. President Trump activated the California National Guard and deployed Marines to control the protests [6]. The timing and content of a phone call between Newsom and Trump became a point of contention.

According to the lawsuit, Fox News anchor Jesse Watters aired a segment that allegedly misrepresented the facts surrounding the phone call [7]. Newsom's attorneys claim that Fox News 'maliciously lied as a means to sabotage informed national discussion' by editing material related to Trump's statements about the call [12].

The governor's legal team alleges that Fox News aired deceptively edited videos and made false statements claiming Newsom had lied about the phone call [9]. One segment cited in the lawsuit featured a chyron reading, 'Gavin Lied About Trump's Call' [9].

Newsom is seeking $787 million in damages, a figure nearly identical to the amount Fox News paid to settle a defamation suit with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 [4][10]. The Dominion case involved false allegations about voting machines in the 2020 election [13].

In response to the lawsuit, Fox News called it a 'publicity stunt' and stated, 'Gov. Newsom's transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously' [14].

The case has drawn significant attention, not only due to the high-profile figures involved but also because of its potential implications for media accountability and political discourse. As a sitting governor suing a major news network, the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for both journalism and politics in the United States.

As the legal process unfolds, this case is likely to reignite debates about the balance between freedom of the press and the responsibility of news organizations to report accurately, especially in politically charged environments.