Another conservative news outlet loses in court, NEWSMAX goes down and could pay $1.6 billion

The claim that Newsmax 'goes down and could pay $1.6 billion' conflates several related but distinct facts. First, Newsmax is indeed involved in a high-profile defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems seeking $1.6 billion in damages over false claims about the 2020 election. A Delaware judge ruled that Newsmax defamed Dominion and allowed the lawsuit to proceed, rejecting Newsmax's efforts to dismiss the case.bloomberg.combloomberg.comNewsmax Must Face Dominion’s $1.6 Billion Defamation Suit Over 2020 Election...baptistnews.combaptistnews.comNewsmax election defamation case was to begin jury trial today but now delayed However, this ruling is a legal determination that the case has merit to be tried; it is not a final verdict that Newsmax has lost or must pay damages yet. The trial is scheduled for September 2024, so the outcome remains pending. Second, Newsmax has settled a separate defamation suit with Smartmatic for $40 million in 2024,reuters.comreuters.comDelaware judge rules Newsmax coverage of Dominion Voting Systems was false,...wral.comwral.comDominion’s $1.6 billion defamation suit against Newsmax over election lies set... which is unrelated to the Dominion case but relevant context about ongoing legal challenges related to election misinformation.

Third, there is no evidence that Newsmax 'goes down' in terms of ceasing operations or losing broad distribution; although it did go dark on DirecTV temporarily, this is unrelated to the Dominion lawsuit and does not indicate a company collapse.

Therefore, while Newsmax faces a serious legal challenge with potential financial consequences up to $1.6 billion from Dominion's suit, it has not yet lost in court definitively nor paid that amount. The claim exaggerates the current status by implying an immediate loss and payment. The situation is ongoing with trial pending.

This nuanced understanding leads to a verdict of Mostly True: the lawsuit exists and could result in large damages, but Newsmax has not yet lost or paid $1.6 billion.