Watters‍ Offers Qualified Apology to Newsom Amidst Trump⁣ Call ⁤Dispute

Jesse Watters of fox ⁢News ⁣has⁢ issued a qualified apology to california Governor Gavin⁣ Newsom following a public⁤ disagreement⁣ over ⁢a phone call between Newsom and former President Donald⁤ Trump. The controversy centers on the‍ timing and content of a conversation ‍that occurred after Trump’s remarks about deploying Marines in Los Angeles.

The Genesis of the Dispute: Trump’s Claims and Newsom’s Rebuttal

The public spat ignited when Donald Trump told reporters on June ⁤10 that he had spoken to Governor Newsom “a day ago,” urging him to “do a better job.” This ‍statement created the impression that the call took place on the ⁣same day 700 Marines were ⁢deployed in Los Angeles.Governor Newsom, however, vehemently refuted this claim. In a post on X, Newsom stated that he had spoken to ⁢Trump after‍ midnight Eastern time on June 7, and that the National⁤ Guard was not a topic of discussion. He asserted ⁢that no further conversations had occurred between them.

“Ther was no call,” Newsom posted on X. “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.”

Newsom’s legal team further alleged⁢ in a complaint that by making the call appear more recent, Trump aimed⁤ to suggest that they had‍ discussed the deployment ‍of troops to Los⁤ Angeles,⁤ a topic they maintain was never ⁤raised.

Fox News’s Presentation and watters’s ‍clarification

Trump later provided Fox News anchor John Roberts with a screenshot of the June 7 phone call’s date stamp. Watters presented this evidence on his program, suggesting that Newsom had been untruthful in his denial of speaking with Trump.

During his show,Watters played a clip of Trump’s June 10 comments about the call,notably omitting the part where Trump mentioned speaking to Newsom the previous day. A banner accompanying the clip declared: “Gavin lied about Trump’s call.”

on Thursday,⁣ Watters clarified his interpretation of Newsom’s X post, stating his belief that Newsom’s statement implied no call had occurred at all.

“‘Not even a voicemail’ -⁢ we took ⁣that to mean there was no ⁣call ever,” Watters explained to his viewers. “We thoght the⁢ dispute⁢ was about whether there was a phone call at all when he said without ⁣qualification that‍ there was no ⁤call.”

A “Confusing and Unclear” Statement

Watters continued, “Now Newsom’s telling ⁤us what was in his head when he wrote the tweet. He didn’t deceive anybody on purpose, so I’m sorry, he ⁤wasn’t lying. He was⁣ just confusing and unclear. Next time, governor, why don’t you say what you mean.”

This ‍statement represents a partial retraction of Watters’s earlier assertion that newsom had lied, shifting the focus to Newsom’s perceived ⁤lack of clarity rather than intentional deception.

The Shadow of the Dominion Lawsuit

The article ⁢also draws a parallel between the current dispute and a ⁤previous⁤ defamation case involving Fox News. In 2023, Fox News settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787 million. This settlement followed allegations that the network had aired false claims suggesting that Dominion’s voting equipment⁤ was manipulated to favor President⁢ Biden in the 2020 election. The ⁢mention‍ of this figure in the context of the current dispute highlights ⁣the significant financial and reputational stakes involved in defamation claims against media organizations.