Abrupt Ouster of Longtime Anchor at Fox News Sends Shockwaves

In a move that comes as a complete surprise, Fox News Media has abruptly ousted longtime anchor Maria Bartiromo. Bartiromo has been a host for over a decade on the network, and no reason was given for the sudden cutting of ties. Her staff page on Fox Business Network has already been deleted.

In a press release, Fox News simply said, “Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media.”

The press release then continued, “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 and a half years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.”

The move sent shockwaves throughout the media landscape, with comments on social media appearing almost immediately. Journalist Scott Dagostino posted on Bluesky, “This is weird and unexpected. Maria Bartiromo has been one of FOX’s loudest and most relentless cheerleaders for the Trump administration. What brought this on??”

Bartiromo Has a Long History as a Financial Journalist

Bartiromo has a long history as a financial journalist, going back far before she debuted on Fox News. In the 1990s, she appeared on CNBC and set herself apart by becoming known as “the money hunny.” After two decades there, she joined Fox News in 2014.

It wasn’t long before she became one of the busiest anchors on the network, as she hosted both the Fox News show Sunday Morning Futures and a three-hour morning show during the weekdays for Fox Business Network. However, she hasn’t been on air since early August. No reason was given for this either, though it isn’t uncommon for television hosts to take time off like everyone else in the summer.

Despite her lengthy journalistic past, though, Bartiromo has more commonly become known for championing President Trump (in most cases) and for being involved in the two defamation lawsuits against Fox News Media over their coverage of the 2020 presidential election. The lawsuit involving Dominion Voting Systems was settled in 2023, while the Smartmatic lawsuit is still ongoing.

Internal communications released as part of the lawsuits showed that she said in a message to a producer, “#1 story all trump supporters want right now is stop the steal. They do not believe the ejection [sic] was fair or honest. So fox needs to cover it.”

It’s Unclear Where Bartiromo Is Headed After This

Where Bartiromo ends up after this is anyone’s guess, though one Fox News Media employee reportedly shared, “Everyone is wondering if she’s going to the administration or whether it was the Smartmatic lawsuit.”

Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair’s Washington correspondent, however, posted on X, “Bartiromo is not leaving for a job in the Trump admin, I’m told.”

As for the shows Bartiromo covered at Fox News, the network explained that the Sunday morning show will be hosted this weekend by Jason Chaffetz, with a new host coming at a later date. Bartiromo’s former weekday morning show will now be called Mornings with FOX Business and, for the moment, will have rotating anchors until a permanent one is found.

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