Governor Newsom vs. Fox News: A Legal Showdown

California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal action against Fox News, accusing the network of defamation in its portrayal of a phone conversation between him and former President Donald Trump. According to reports from Politico and the New York Times, Newsom filed the lawsuit in Delaware, where Fox is incorporated.

The lawsuit seeks $787 million in damages and requests a court order to prevent Fox from broadcasting or distributing segments alleging that Newsom lied about the call, which occurred late at night on June 6. Newsom, a Democrat, also demanded a retraction from Fox and an apology from host Jesse Waters, threatening to drop the lawsuit if these conditions are met.

The phone call between Newsom and Trump took place following protests in Los Angeles sparked by federal immigration raids. President Trump's response included deploying thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to California, bypassing Newsom and intensifying debates about his immigration policies. Newsom's demanded damages echo the amount Fox Corp paid to settle a previous lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems concerning false claims in the 2020 election.

(With inputs from agencies.)