Dem
47
GOP
53
Yup, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is definitely running for president. He clearly believes that many of his previous lefty stances will not sit well with moderate Democrats in the 2028 primaries, so he is doing everything he can to get people to forget them and focus on other things. His most recent PR stunt is suing Fox News for $787 million, claiming that host Jesse Watters defamed him when he [Watters] said Newsom lied about a phone call between Newsom and Donald Trump. Newsom has severe dyslexia and dyscalculia (which caused him endless trouble in school), so he can be forgiven for not suing Fox for $787.5 million, the exact amount Dominion Voting Systems got Fox to fork over after Fox personnel made false and damaging claims about their voting machines.
To his credit, though, Newsom has decided to use a technique Donald Trump has used with great success: suing the media. Sometimes media outlets are willing to settle for a smaller amount rather than have the story be in the news for months or years. Newsom has even admitted the Dominion connection, despite getting the amount wrong. He said: "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." Fair enough.
If Fox fights back, Newsom will probably lose. The courts have ruled that public figures like Newsom have to expect a fair amount of incoming fire. They can win a defamation case only if the defamer knew that he or she was lying and lied anyway. That is a tough thing to prove in court. In the Dominion case, it was different. Dominion is a private company that makes voting equipment. It is not a public figure. It is an ordinary business trying to make money by selling a product. It doesn't have to meet the much-higher standard that a public figure like Newsom does.
But Newsom isn't trying to win this in actual court, only in the court of public opinion. Democrats are so desperate for someone who will stand up to Trump, the Republicans, and the right-wing media ecosystem that many blue teamers are sure to applaud him for at least trying. Winning their sympathies (and votes) in 2028 is clearly what he is aiming for. Besides, there is an off chance that Fox might offer to settle for a much smaller amount, as ABC did. Expect more stunts from Newsom between now and 2028. (V)