Fox News Star Abruptly Departs Network — Explosive Details Emerge

President Donald Trump publicly reacted to Maria Bartiromo’s abrupt departure from Fox News Media, praising the longtime anchor and predicting that her audience would be unhappy with the change. Fox News announced on September 3 that Bartiromo was no longer with the company after more than 12 years.

Puck News reporter Dylan Byers reported that Bartiromo wanted to pursue a story involving claims about China and the 2020 vote, a subject that reportedly raised concerns inside Fox because of the network’s previous election-related litigation.

According to the report, a Fox Business executive instructed producers that the story could not air. Byers reported that Bartiromo then took a screenshot of the internal guidance and shared it with senior White House officials.

The network did not provide a detailed public explanation for the separation. Trump responded hours later on Truth Social. “I can’t believe Maria Bartiromo is no longer going to have her great show(s) on FoxNews/Business,” Trump wrote. “Three different shows, always number one. Maria is a total professional, and a true warrior.”

“Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy. God bless you, Maria,” he added. Bartiromo had been a major presence across both Fox Business and Fox News. She hosted “Mornings with Maria,” “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” and the Sunday political program “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Fox executives reportedly learned about the disclosure after being contacted by the White House. According to Byers, network leadership viewed the sharing of internal communications as a serious violation.

The report said Bartiromo had been kept off the air following her final Fox News appearance on August 9 before the network announced her departure on September 3.

Fox confirmed the split in a brief statement, saying, “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 1/2 years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.”

Her former programs are already undergoing changes. “Mornings with Maria” became “Mornings with FOX Business,” with rotating anchors taking over the morning show. “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” was renamed “FBN’s Wall Street.” Cheryl Casone was selected to host the first edition under the new name before the network moves to rotating anchors.

Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz was also tapped to temporarily host “Sunday Morning Futures” while Fox searches for a permanent replacement.

Bartiromo joined Fox Business in 2014 after spending roughly two decades at CNBC. She became widely known for her coverage of financial markets before taking on a larger role in political reporting and interviews.Her profile grew during Trump’s political career, as she frequently interviewed Trump and other senior figures in his administration and political circle.

Bartiromo’s reporting surrounding the 2020 presidential election also became part of major defamation litigation involving Fox. She was named in Smartmatic’s lawsuit over statements aired about the voting technology company and was deposed in Dominion Voting Systems’ case against Fox. Fox reached a settlement with Dominion in 2023.

In seeking to dismiss the Smartmatic lawsuit, Bartiromo and Fox argued that the “headline-seeking, multi-billion-dollar lawsuit thus should be seen—and rejected—for what it is: an unconstitutional attempt by a money-losing company … to try to refill its coffers at the expense of our constitutional traditions.”

Fox told TheWrap that Bartiromo’s departure was a “business decision” and declined to elaborate on the reported internal dispute.

There is also disagreement over reports describing the departure as a firing. Bartiromo’s attorney Bryan Freedman said reports that she had been fired were “absolutely and unequivocally false.” Fox’s official announcement, however, stated that Bartiromo was no longer with Fox News Media, and Axios reported that a Fox spokesperson characterized the move as a firing for business reasons.