Latest news with #JesseWatters
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Gavin Newsom sues Fox News for defamation and demands $787m
The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has sued Fox News for defamation and demanded $787m, almost exactly the same amount Fox paid in a previous defamation case over election misinformation. In the new lawsuit, filed on Friday, Newsom accuses the Fox host Jesse Watters of falsely claiming Newsom lied about a phone call with Donald Trump, who recently ordered national guard troops into Los Angeles. Newsom's attorneys say Watters aired a deceptively edited clip of Trump suggesting he spoke with the governor just before the military deployment, when in fact records show the call occurred days earlier, on 7 June. The lawsuit alleges that Fox manipulated the footage to push a false narrative that Newsom had misled the public. Trump had told reporters on 10 June he had spoken with Newsom 'a day ago', appearing to imply a conversation occurred on the same day that 700 US marines were deployed to LA. Newsom denied Trump's claim, writing on X minutes later: '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.' The lawsuit says that Fox's own reporting confirmed Newsom's version. While Watters aired Trump's edited quote and asked viewers 'Why would Newsom lie?', the host simultaneously showed a screenshot of Trump's call history, which confirmed the most recent call was 7 June. Newsom's complaint also accuses the network of violating California's Unfair Competition Law by engaging in deceptive business practices. The damages sought mirror the $787.5m Fox paid Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 to settle a separate defamation case over election misinformation. '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 told Politico in a statement. 'Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine.' The governor's team told Politico that they would drop the case if Fox retracts the claims and Watters issues an on-air apology. Newsom said legal costs would come from his campaign funds, and that if the case is successful the proceeds will go to support anti-Trump causes. A Fox News spokesperson said: 'Governor 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.' Trump has had his own legal battles with media outlets. He recently secured a $15m settlement from ABC over comments made by George Stephanopoulos, and he has sued CBS over alleged interview manipulation by its 60 Minutes program during the 2024 campaign, a case which remains unresolved.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Fox News
TRUMP'S BIG WEEK JUST GOT BETTER
Weeknights at 8pm ET, Jesse Watters brings his fresh take to Primetime. Each night, he'll speak with newsmakers from across the country and give Americans a show where straight talk is the only talk, and the obvious will never be left unsaid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jesse Watters Hits Jasmine Crockett With A Shameful Dig — And Sadly, It Proves 1 Thing
Fox News host Jesse Watters recently made a perplexing quip about Rep. Jasmine Crockett's (D-Texas) personal life. During a segment of 'The Five' on Thursday night, panelist Emily Compagno complained that Crockett had criticized the Trump administration's immigration policies and its dehumanizing rhetoric surrounding immigrants during a hearing on Capitol Hill the day prior. Watters then jumped in and attempted to take a swipe at the Democratic representative, claiming that he 'researched' her and learned about her dating life. 'She's single, she's 43, she's never been married,' he said about his findings on Crockett, who's 44. 'I'm trying to figure out what makes her tick. I think I can set her up with someone. I know a guy in D.C. — he's white, hopefully that's not a problem — but he will make her happy,' he scoffed. 'And maybe then she will not hate everybody else besides herself so much.' 'And it would be my pleasure to do it,' he added. Watters was slammedon X, formerlyTwitter, for making the misogynistic quip about Crockett, suggesting that her, or any woman's happiness, depends on marriage. Not to mention, Crockett's personal dating life is, of course, none of his business. Kari J. Winter, a professor of American studies at the University at Buffalo whose expertise includes gender, feminism, race and class, said that Watters targeting Crockett — who often faces racist and anti-Black attacks online — just proves one thing about a lot of her critics: ″[They] target her with racist, misogynistic hate speech not only because they embrace sexist white supremacist values, but also because they are desperate to avoid responding to her points and policies,' she said. 'Trump's anti-immigrant actions are illegal and unconscionable. What can his sycophants say? They have nothing. Therefore, they are 100% focused on riling up rather than informing their audience,' Winter said. 'They throw out every vile, outrageous insult they can think of in order to steal our attention away from the Trump administration's alarming, illegal, democracy-undermining actions.' Winter added that Crockett is 'whip-smart, courageous and eloquent' and that the congresswoman 'understands that a just legal system is the foundation of democracy.' Monica Cwynar, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks, who specializes in trauma and coping skills, said that as a Black therapist, she believes 'personal attacks, especially against women of color like Congresswoman Crockett, detract from the real issues at hand and reflect entrenched sexism and racism in our public discourse.' 'Such remarks are not only unproductive but also deeply harmful, as they overshadow important policy discussions and contribute to a culture where personal denigration is prioritized over substantive critique,' she continued. Cwynar said that comments like Watters' work to diminish 'the voices of women in politics' and reinforce 'damaging stereotypes.' And even if Watters made the remark about Crockett in jest, making those types of comments about a woman's relationship status — especially in a public forum — 'reinforces harmful societal norms' and 'perpetuates a misogynistic narrative that suggests [a woman's] worth is tied to having a man in their lives,' Cwynar said. In general, negative remarks about women being single can 'lead to emotional harm, instilling feelings of inadequacy and shame,' she later noted, adding that 'society often imposes expectations that equate a woman's success with marriage and motherhood, which can significantly diminish her sense of self-worth and autonomy.' Speaking about Watters' dig at Crockett on 'The Five' specifically, Cwynar said that his commentary 'undermines the diverse ways women can lead fulfilling lives.' Winter believes this is all part of Watters' plan. 'Jesse Watters is a merchant of outrage whose career as a commentator is based on grabbing our attention by spewing shocking, hateful speech,' she said. 'I'm guessing that he searches for racist, sexist stereotypes so that he has an easy stockpile to trot out day after day.' 'Perhaps the only way for people to escape from the right-wing cesspool of hate is to turn our backs and walk away,' she added. 'We need to choose to focus our attention on the people, issues and work that we truly care about.' Jesse Watters' Dig At Simone Biles Hits A New Low — And It's 'Incredibly Damaging' Jesse Watters' Outrage Over Term He Previously Decried Backfires Spectacularly Jesse Watters Makes WTF Political Remark After Livvy Dunne Does Splits In Thong
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
California Governor sues Fox News for $1.3 billion for defamation over Trump call
By Jonathan Stempel , Reuters California Governor Gavin Newsom. Photo: AFP California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a US$787 million (NZ$1.3 billion) defamation lawsuit against Fox News, saying the network defamed him by lying about his phone call with Donald Trump related to the president's immigration crackdown. The complaint filed in Delaware Superior Court accused Fox of demonstrating "willingness to protect President Trump from his own false statements by smearing his political opponent Governor Newsom in a dispute over when the two last spoke during a period of national strife." Newsom's punitive damages request is nearly identical to the $787.5 million that Fox paid in 2023 to settle Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit over alleged vote-rigging in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The governor is also seeking compensatory damages for harm to his reputation, saying Fox acted with actual malice. "Enough of their lies," Newsom said in a video posted on X. In a letter to the network, Newsom's lawyers said he is prepared to drop the lawsuit if Fox retracted the claim he lied about his call with Trump, and if both Fox and host Jesse Watters apologized on-air. Fox said in a statement: "Governor 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." Newsom is a Democrat and potential presidential contender in 2028, and has made several appearances on Fox News. The network is a favorite of conservatives, and its on-air talent includes many supporters of Trump, a Republican. Its parent, Fox Corp, is incorporated in Delaware. According to the complaint, Newsom spoke by phone with Trump for about 16 minutes late on 6 June, or early 7 June Eastern Daylight Time, soon after protests broke out in Los Angeles following federal immigration raids. Trump later sent National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the state, bypassing the governor. Newsom said he did not speak again with Trump, and confirmed this after Trump falsely told reporters on 10 June he had spoken with the governor "a day ago." The complaint said Fox nonetheless intentionally distorted the facts by making a misleading video clip and multiple false statements about the timing of the last call, in an effort to brand Newsom a liar and curry favor with Trump. "Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?" Watters said on 10 June on his show "Jesse Watters Primetime," according to the complaint. Watters' report was accompanied by a chyron, a banner caption along the bottom of a TV screen, that said "Gavin Lied About Trump's Call," the complaint added. According to the complaint, Fox's claim that Newsom lied was "calculated to provoke outrage and cause Governor Newsom significant harm," by making people less likely to support his causes, donate to his campaigns, or vote for him in elections. Newsom's lawyers said it was "perhaps unsurprising" that the 79-year-old Trump might confuse the dates, but Fox's decision to cover up the error "cannot be so easily dismissed." To prevail in the lawsuit, Newsom would have to show Fox acted with actual malice, meaning it knew its statements were false or had reckless disregard for their truth. The standard comes from New York Times v. Sullivan, a landmark 1964 US Supreme Court decision. Trump has also turned to the courts to address perceived defamation by news networks. He reached a US$15 million (NZ$25 million) settlement with Walt Disney-owned ABC last December after suing over an inaccurate claim that a jury found him liable for rape, rather than sexual assault, in a civil lawsuit. Trump also sued CBS for US$20 billion (NZ$33 billion) over its editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. A mediator has reportedly proposed a US$20 million (NZ$33 million) settlement with CBS' parent Paramount Global. - Reuters
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Defamation or publicity stunt? What to know about Gavin Newsom's lawsuit against Fox
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing Fox News for defamation, seeking $787 million in damages and an apology from prime-time star Jesse Watters. 'No more lies,' Newsom said in a post on X in which he linked to a Politico article about the lawsuit, filed Friday in Delaware. In a statement, Fox News called the lawsuit a 'transparent publicity stunt' and said the governor was trying 'to chill free speech critical of him.' 'We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed,' the statement said. The punitive damages Newsom is seeking is the same amount that Dominion Voting received in a settlement with Fox in 2023. The company had sued Fox News for $1.6 billion over its reporting about Dominion voting machines after the 2020 election. The New York Times reported that Newsom's lawyers sent Fox News a letter saying the governor will dismiss the case if the network issues a formal retraction and Watters, whose show 'Jesse Watters Primetime' airs weeknights at 6 p.m. MT, makes an on-air apology. The suit stems from reporting about communication between Newsom and President Donald Trump over immigration raids in Los Angeles and the deployment of the National Guard. Trump told reporters June 10 that he talked to Newsom 'a day ago' and told him he had to do a better job. Newsom responded in a post on X, saying 'There was no call. Not even a voicemail.' The Los Angeles Times reported that Newsom and Trump had talked 'late in the night on June 6 in California, which was early June 7 for Trump on the East Coast.' The conversation on social media quickly devolved into whether either man was lying or confused, and Trump spoke with Fox News' John Roberts to double down on what he had said. The president also released a call log. People on X soon began sharing the call log and saying that Newsom had lied. On a segment on his show that aired on June 10, Watters discussed the matter while a caption on the screen said 'Gavin lied about Trump's call.' Newsom responded on social media, noting that the call date was June 7 and saying 'Trump doesn't even know what day it is.' It's unclear why the exact timing of the conversation matters, other than the conversation on June 6/7 would have occurred before Trump deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles June 8. A report in The Los Angeles Times Friday said the lawsuit puts Newsom 'at the forefront of the political proxy war between Democrats and Republicans over the press by challenging an outlet that many in his party despise.' The Times quotes from the lawsuit, which says, 'By disregarding basic journalistic ethics in favor of malicious propaganda, Fox continues to play a major role in the further erosion of the bedrock principles of informed representative government.'
