California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a staggering $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News, following false assertions made by MAGA host Jesse Watters that Newsom misrepresented his discussions with former President Donald Trump about the National Guard’s deployment.

This legal action has reverberated through political and media spheres, as Newsom directly confronts Fox News’ portrayal of the situation, which he contends is deliberately deceptive and rooted in a fabricated narrative.

The lawsuit’s hefty $787 million figure mirrors the settlement Fox News was compelled to pay Dominion Voting Systems earlier this year due to their role in disseminating false information regarding the 2020 election. Newsom’s legal pursuit is not merely an attempt to vindicate his reputation; it represents a challenge to what he describes as Fox News’ “propaganda machine” and seeks to hold the network responsible for the misinformation it propagates, especially concerning its favorable portrayal of Trump and the far-right.

This significant action by Newsom follows a contentious interaction with Jesse Watters, who aired a heavily edited segment of Trump’s remarks and insinuated that Newsom was untruthful about his communications with the former president concerning the National Guard. Watters’ assertions were subsequently amplified by Fox News, intensifying the already heated discussion surrounding the state’s response to the crisis in Los Angeles and the federal government’s role in California’s emergency management efforts.