The surprise departure of longtime Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo is sparking a frenzy of rumors and speculation about why she left and what she might do next.
Fox issued a very brief statement on her exit.
“We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 1/2 years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” the network said.
Many people think the MAGA voter and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump is leaving for the vacant White House press secretary job.
Vice JD Vance weighed in on the rumors, answering a reporter’s question on Thursday, September 3, about whether Bartiromo is taking over for previous Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt with a laugh and a denial.
“Hah, hah, hah, hah. I don’t know, man. No, I don’t think so,” a smug Vance giggled.
“Ah no, I don’t think so. You know I just saw the news literally as I walked out the door. I love Maria. I think she’s an amazing person, an amazing talent,” he shmoozed, before adding, “I don’t get involved in the personal drama of media stations.”
Of course, the question wasn’t about any drama at Fox but rather about whether she’s up for the press secretary job.
Fox News has abruptly dumped longtime anchor Maria Bartiromo, one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal allies at the network.
The stunning split apparently blindsided Trump, who quickly took to Truth Social to complain.
“I can’t believe Maria Bartiromo is no longer going to have her great show(s) on FoxNews/Business,” Trump wrote.
Fox executives reportedly decided in August to cut ties with Bartiromo, according to a source who spoke anonymously with CNN. The source said Bartiromo’s decision to share confidential network information with the Trump White House triggered her downfall.
However, other issues may have contributed to the split.
Fox announced that Bartiromo’s departure was “effective today,” suggesting the breakup was far from friendly. The abrupt exit denied her the opportunity to address viewers or deliver a final sign-off after years at the network.
The controversy reportedly began in mid-July, when Trump gave a prime-time speech filled with claims about China and the 2020 presidential election.
Bartiromo wanted to discuss Trump’s allegations on air, according to media publications Status and Puck. However, a Fox executive instructed the network’s programs not to cover them, a source confirmed to CNN.
Instead of keeping that internal guidance inside the network, Bartiromo reportedly texted it to White House officials. Her message appeared intended to assure Trump’s team that she wasn’t responsible for Fox refusing to amplify his claims.
But word of the disclosure eventually made its way back to Fox executives.
Management determined that Bartiromo had violated her employment agreement, ultimately costing one of Trump’s favorite television defenders her place at the network.
Bartiromo has seen her share of drama while at the network.
She was one of the Fox hosts named in a massive lawsuit by Dominion Voting after she helped spread false conspiracy theories live on the air that the 2020 election was “stolen” from Trump.
She was the only person named in the suit who was still on the air after Fox was forced to pay a huge $787 million settlement to end the case right before it was set to go to trial in 2023.
And there’s no love lost for Bartiromo on social media. Commenters expressed “disgust” and disappointment over her downfall.
“30 years ago when she was on CNBC I thought the world of her, beautiful and smart. Now she disgusts me in both sight and sound. Good Riddance,” an X user stated.
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Others agreed.
“Press Secretary Bartiromo on deck?” and “New press secretary in 3.2.1…”
X poster Manda put it this way. “Thank God. I remember when this woman had integrity and was highly respected in financial and news circles. Now? She’s not even worth making a joke about.”
The right-wing Bartiromo, a financial reporter and news anchor, started as a producer at CNN before joining CNBC in 1993, where she worked for 20 years. She then joined Fox in 2014 and hosted “Mornings with Maria” and “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” on Fox Business. She also hosted “Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo” on Fox News.
Bartiromo isn’t the only name circulating as a possible replacement for Leavitt.
Leavitt left the White House last month after announcing on Aug. 12 she planned to step down to “spend more time with her beautiful young children and family.”
Her announcement came three months after she gave birth to her second child.
Other names swirling in the lead-up to a new press secretary include right-wing political commentator Scott Jennings, close Trump aide Natalie Harp, Trump’s former attorney Alina Habba, current DHS press secretary Katie Zacharia, Breitbart’s DC bureau chief Matthew Boyle, and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, to name a few.
