Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, accusing the conservative cable giant of defaming him with its coverage of his phone call with President Donald Trump earlier this month amid the Los Angeles protests over the president’s immigration crackdown and mobilization of the National Guard.
The California governor is seeking at least $787 million in damages and a court order prohibiting the network from airing any additional segments that falsely claim that he lied about the call with the president, which took place on June 7. The punitive damages sought by Newsom are nearly identical to the amount that Fox paid to Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 to settle a defamation suit over election conspiracies broadcast by the network.
“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 said in a statement. “Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine.”
The Independent has reached out to Fox News for comment.
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