Fox News hasn't shed much light on the abrupt departure of Maria Bartiromo from the network, and Bartiromo has yet to address it. But multiple reports say the network fired her over a leak to the White House, stemming from President Trump's prime-time address in July. Fox directed its anchors not to rehash Trump's claims of a rigged 2020 election, and Bartiromo forwarded that guidance to the White House, reports industry newsletter Status. CNN confirms, adding that Bartiromo wanted to discuss the claims on air and to show that the decision to offer little coverage was not hers.
Another industry outlet, Puck, reports that Bartiromo "wanted to pursue a story related to China and 2020 election voting conspiracies ... a major sensitivity for the network given its Dominion and Smartmatic lawsuits." When a Fox Business exec said the story could not air, Bartiromo—who hosted shows on Fox Business and Fox News—took a screenshot of the order and forwarded it to the White House, according to the outlet's Dylan Byers. The network reportedly viewed that as a breach of contract.
Bartiromo, a former CNBC anchor, has grown particularly tight with the Trump administration over the years, and the Washington Post notes that her reporting figured into Fox's massive $787 million settlement with voting machine company Dominion. Trump himself wrote on Truth Social that he "can't believe" she's gone from the network, calling her a "true warrior" and adding that her "fans, of which there are many, will not be happy." Vice President JD Vance on Thursday laughed off speculation she might become the new White House press secretary.
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