Governor Seeks Dominion-Level Payout, Citing Network’s Alleged Pattern of Deception

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (File)
California Governor Gavin Newsom isn’t just talking tough about Fox News anymore – he’s suing them for a staggering $787 million, accusing the network of defamation and reigniting the battle over media accountability in a post-Dominion world.

The Golden State’s top Democrat is throwing down the gauntlet, claiming Fox intentionally misrepresented a call he had with President Donald Trump amidst heated immigration debates.

The lawsuit is a direct echo of the record-breaking settlement Fox News paid to Dominion Voting Systems after the 2020 election. Newsom’s legal team is clearly aiming for a similar financial knockout, arguing the network engaged in “actual malice” to harm the governor’s reputation.

At the heart of the legal battle is a seemingly innocuous discrepancy: When did Newsom last speak with Trump? The governor stated he spoke with Trump on June 6th. However, days later, on June 10th, Trump told reporters he’d spoken with Newsom “a day ago.” It was this back-and-forth that Fox News host Jesse Watters seized upon, claiming Newsom had lied.

“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 declared in a fiery statement. “Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine.”

This lawsuit sets up a high-stakes legal showdown. To prove defamation, Newsom’s team must clear the notoriously high bar of demonstrating that Fox News acted with “actual malice” – meaning they either knew the information was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

With a price tag mirroring the Dominion settlement, this case could once again force a powerful media entity to confront the consequences of its reporting.

In a statement Friday, Fox News said to the Tampa Free Press, “Gov. Newsom’s transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed.”

The legal fireworks have just begun, and the nation will be watching closely. Fox News has not yet commented on the lawsuit.

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