Fox News Calls Maria Bartiromo Firing A ‘Business Decision’

Maria Bartiromo, a Fox News and Fox Business anchor for more than a decade, was fired in what a company spokesperson called a “business decision.”

Her departure was effective immediately on Thursday. “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” the Fox Corp.-owned channels said in a statement.

The newsletter Status reported that her dismissal was tied to a dispute at the news outlet over coverage of President Donald Trump’s speech in July during which he aired claims of election interference. Fox News had asked its correspondents not to report on the claims. Bartiromo shared that information with the White House, according to the newsletter.

Fox didn’t respond to questions about the Status report. Bartiromo also didn’t respond to requests for comment.

“Maria is a total professional, and a true warrior,” Trump said Thursday night in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy.”

The 58-year-old journalist rose to fame earlier as a host on CNBC, where she earned the nickname the “Money Honey” from the many fans on Wall Street who tuned into her interviews and news reports. Over the course of her 20 years at CNBC, she helped launch the morning Squawk Box program and anchored Closing Bell.

Bartiromo’s move to Fox in 2014 took her in a more political direction. Her on-air comments about alleged fraud during the 2020 presidential election were cited in Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation suit against the network. Fox settled that suit for $787.5 million in 2023.

Fox was hit with a defamation lawsuit in July over claims made on Bartiromo’s weekday morning show by investor and Shark Tank personality Kevin O’Leary. A group opposing a data center O’Leary is planning in Utah alleged that the investor made false accusations about their being linked to China. Fox issued an on-air apology over the comments in June.

The last episode of Mornings with Maria aired on Fox Business Thursday. That show will transition to Mornings with Fox Business and be hosted by a rotating set of anchors, the network said.

Another program, Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street, which aired on Fridays, will be renamed FBN’s Wall Street. Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures, which she also hosted, will get a new anchor at a later date.

Bartiromo last appeared on the air Aug. 9 on the Sunday show.

The longtime TV host enjoyed a rare level of celebrity for a financial journalist. Punk rocker Joey Ramone wrote a song about her, and she had cameos in films that included Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Too Big to Fail and Arbitrage.

Prior to CNBC, Bartiromo worked as a producer and writer for CNN’s business coverage.

Last year, Trump named Bartiromo to the board of the Kennedy Center.

At a press conference Thursday, Vice President JD Vance was asked if the newscaster was going to become the next White House press secretary and Vance said he didn’t think so.

“I think she’s an amazing person, an amazing talent,” Vance said. “Whatever she does, she’s going to do great. I wish her all the best. She’s a very, very dear friend.”

This article was provided by Bloomberg News.