California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News on June 27, 2025, alleging the network falsely portrayed him as a liar regarding communications with President Donald Trump during immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit, filed in Delaware Superior Court, centers on claims made by Fox News host Jesse Watters regarding a phone conversation between Newsom and Trump. According to the complaint, Newsom last spoke with Trump for approximately 16 minutes during a call late on June 6 or early June 7, 2025, depending on the time zone.
The controversy began when Trump told reporters on June 10 that he had spoken with Newsom “a day ago,” implying a conversation occurred on the same day that 700 Marines were deployed to Los Angeles. Newsom quickly disputed this claim on social media, stating there had been no call on June 9.
On the evening of June 10, Watters aired a segment on “Jesse Watters Primetime” that played an edited clip of Trump’s remarks. The lawsuit alleges that Fox News removed the portion where Trump said he spoke to Newsom “a day ago,” while simultaneously displaying a screenshot of Trump’s call history that confirmed the most recent call occurred on June 7, supporting Newsom’s version of events.
Watters questioned why Newsom would lie about the call, with a chyron displayed during the segment reading “Gavin Lied About Trump’s Call.” The lawsuit contends that Fox News chose to defame Newsom despite having evidence that contradicted their narrative.
The $787 million damages request mirrors exactly the amount Fox News paid to settle a previous defamation case with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023. That settlement resolved claims that Fox News knowingly pushed false conspiracy theories about Dominion rigging the 2020 presidential election.
Newsom indicated that the American people should be able to trust information from major news outlets, and that Fox News “should face consequences” for its coverage. He emphasized his intention to continue fighting against what he characterized as Fox’s propaganda machine until the network demonstrates truthfulness.
The lawsuit also accuses Fox News of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law by engaging in deceptive business practices. Newsom’s attorneys argue that the network’s actions were calculated to provoke outrage and cause significant harm to the governor’s reputation, potentially affecting his standing with voters in future elections.
Fox News responded by dismissing the lawsuit as a frivolous publicity stunt designed to chill free speech critical of Newsom. The network stated it would defend the case vigorously and expected it to be dismissed.
The legal dispute stems from broader tensions between Newsom and the Trump administration over the federal deployment of California National Guard troops to Los Angeles. The deployment occurred in response to protests that began after Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted widespread operations throughout the city on June 6, 2025.
According to the lawsuit, during the June 7 phone call, Trump never raised the demonstrations in Los Angeles or discussed the National Guard deployment. When Newsom attempted to discuss the situation in Los Angeles, Trump reportedly steered the conversation away from the topic.
Newsom’s legal team has offered to withdraw the lawsuit if Fox News retracts its claims that the governor lied about the phone call and if Watters issues a formal on-air apology. The governor is pursuing the case in his personal capacity rather than through his official office, with legal costs coming from his campaign funds.
The lawsuit represents an escalation in the ongoing feud between Newsom and Trump over immigration enforcement and federal authority. Newsom previously sued the Trump administration for its deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, arguing the action exceeded presidential authority and was unnecessary given that local law enforcement maintained control of the situation.
