California Governor Gavin Newsom is once again making headlines—not for solving his state’s endless crises—but for suing Fox News to the tune of $787 million, accusing the network of defamation over remarks made by host Jesse Watters.
The controversy stems from a bizarre spat between Newsom and President Trump over a phone call—or, according to Newsom, the lack of one.
On June 10, Trump stated publicly that he spoke with Newsom, prompting immediate denials from the California governor. Newsom took to X (formerly Twitter), writing, “There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn’t even know who he’s talking to.”
However, Trump later provided screenshots of his call logs to Fox News anchor John Roberts, which appeared to show a 16-minute phone conversation between the two on June 7. Jesse Watters covered the story on Primetime, saying, “Newsom responded, and he said there wasn’t a phone call, said Trump never called him, not even a voicemail. But John Roberts got Trump’s call logs, and it shows Trump called him late Friday night and they talked for 16 minutes. Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?”
BREAKING: Trump drops evidence of phone call between him and Gavin Newsom after Gavin claimed, “There was no call. not even a voicemail.”
Gavin Newsom is a LIAR pic.twitter.com/6RwgKkSm7s
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 10, 2025
Watters’ blunt questioning triggered Newsom’s legal team, who responded with a lawsuit filed in Delaware Superior Court. The suit claims Fox defamed Newsom by suggesting he lied, even though Newsom himself now admits the June 7 call occurred.
In an ironic twist, Newsom’s lawyers attacked Trump’s mental state in a letter to Fox, writing, “It is perhaps unsurprising that a near-octogenarian with a history of delusionary public statements and unhinged late-night social media screeds might confuse the dates. But Fox’s decision to cover up for President Trump’s error cannot be so easily dismissed.”
Despite filing for the same dollar amount Fox paid in the Dominion Voting Systems settlement—$787 million—Newsom indicated he’d drop the case if Watters apologized live on-air.
Fox isn’t backing down. A network spokesperson called the lawsuit a “transparent publicity stunt” designed to “chill free speech critical of him,” adding, “We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed.”
One minute, Bernie Sanders is telling Rogan that Trump suing media outlets is “authoritarian.”
Next minute, Gavin Newsom threatens to sue Fox News for speech he doesn’t like.
If Trump does it….it’s fascism.
If Newsom does it…it’s justice.So which is it? Asking for a… pic.twitter.com/y7ntF7Mfen
— Gary Knudson (@AdSport) June 27, 2025
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