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Bartiromo had been a host at the network for more than a decade and Fox gave no explanation for the decision
This story summarizes reporting from theguardian.com. Read the original for full context. Wire items stay in our news sitemap for seven days. Editorial policy.
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Media — Jeremy Barr
Fox News Media on Thursday abruptly ousted one of its most well-known hosts and anchors, Maria Bartiromo, without providing an explanation.
“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the network said in a press release, adding in a statement: “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 and a half years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.”
Bartiromo was one of the busiest anchors for the company, hosting a three-hour weekday morning show for the Fox Business Network and the Sunday morning Fox News show Sunday Morning Futures.
But Bartiromo has been off the air since early August, with no reason given for her departure, though television hosts regularly take time off during the summer.
Related: CBS brings back Norah O’Donnell to co-anchor morning show amid ratings challenges
Bartiromo, who distinguished herself as a financial journalist for CNBC known as “the money hunny” in the 1990s, had in recent years became known primarily for her fervent support for Donald Trump.
Bartiromo has regularly been effusive in her praise of the president, and has dined with him on multiple occasions. In January 2025, she sat at Trump’s table for a dinner held for his inauguration. “The world is watching 47 as he is sworn in less than 3-hours thank you @potus47 for this honor and for your dedication and love of this great nation,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
A few months later, she posted a photo of her dining at the White House with Trump and Steven Cheung, his communications director. “Thank you Mr President for your graciousness, your leadership and your protection of this great nation,” she wrote in a caption on Instagram.
Bartiromo was a prominent part of two separate defamation lawsuits against Fox News Media owing to the network’s coverage of the 2020 presidential election. One of those lawsuits, filed by Dominion Voting Systems, was settled in April 2023, while another case filed by Smartmatic remains ongoing.
Internal communications released as part of the Dominion and Smartmatic lawsuits showed that Bartiromo was open to the theory that the 2020 election had been rigged in favor of Joe Biden. “#1 story all trump supporters want right now is stop the steal,” she wrote in a message to a producer. “They do not believe the ejection [sic] was fair or honest. So fox needs to cover it.” (In depositions, Bartiromo denied knowledge that the claims of election fraud were false, as the voting technology companies had contended.)
Documents released in the Smartmatic case also showed that Bartiromo had made $70m in her career at Fox.
It’s unclear whether Bartiromo might be considered for a job in the Trump administration, as some of her fellow colleagues have been. Last spring, Bartiromo and her fellow Fox News host Laura Ingraham were appointed to the board of the Kennedy Center. Some conservatives have suggested that she could be a candidate for White House press secretary.
“Everyone is wondering if she’s going to the administration or whether it was the Smartmatic lawsuit,” said one Fox News Media employee who was not authorized to comment.
The network said on Thursday that Bartiromo’s daily Fox Business Network show will be called Mornings with FOX Business and will have rotating anchors for the time being. The network also said that her Sunday morning show on Fox News will be hosted this weekend by Jason Chaffetz, a contributor and former congressman, and a new host will be announced at a later date.
The abrupt nature of her departure suggests that it was not voluntary. Fox News Media used similar language in announcing the departure of one-time star Tucker Carlson in 2023.
By Thursday afternoon, Fox Business Network had already deleted Bartiromo’s staff page.
“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the network said in a press release, adding in a statement: “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 and a half years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.”
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Jeremy Barr. Published 3 Sept 2026, 06:20 pm.
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