Fox News ousts Maria Bartiromo amid controversy over election claims and policy breach
Consensus Summary
Maria Bartiromo, a longtime Fox News anchor and staunch Trump supporter, was abruptly fired in September 2026 after sharing internal Fox guidance with the White House regarding coverage of Trump’s July 2020 election speech. Fox announced her departure on Thursday, stating she had worked there for 12 and a half years, but Bartiromo’s lawyer denied the firing, claiming it was false and that they have evidence to support her case. The incident reflects a shift at Fox News since the 2020 election, where the network faced legal consequences for amplifying election fraud claims, including a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in April 2023. Bartiromo had been a central figure in promoting Trump’s election theories, but her actions violated Fox’s editorial policy, leading to her removal. The network also faced scrutiny over a July 2020 incident where investor Kevin O’Leary made baseless claims about Chinese agents on her show, involving a 16,000-hectare data center near the Great Salt Lake. Despite her departure, Bartiromo’s contract remains active, obliging Fox to continue paying her millions annually.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Maria Bartiromo was fired from Fox News on Friday, but Fox announced her departure on Thursday with no explanation, stating she had worked there for 12 and a half years
- Fox News instructed senior employees to avoid covering Donald Trump’s July primetime address on election integrity claims in 2020
- Maria Bartiromo shared Fox’s editorial guidance with the White House via Navarro, who relayed it to the White House in July, violating company policy
- Fox News settled a $787.5 million defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems in April 2023, with Smartmatic’s case still ongoing
- Maria Bartiromo hosted a three-hour weekday morning show for Fox Business and a Sunday morning show on Fox News
- Fox News avoided covering Trump’s July 2020 election speech claims despite running it in full later, reflecting a shift in editorial stance post-2020 election
- Kevin O’Leary made baseless claims on Bartiromo’s show in July about two Utah non-profit founders being Chinese agents, involving a 16,000-hectare data center near the Great Salt Lake
- Fox News ended Lou Dobbs’ program early in 2021 after he promoted election fraud claims
- Maria Bartiromo was a prominent figure in Fox’s coverage of the 2020 election, amplifying Trump’s election fraud theories
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Maria Bartiromo’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, denied her firing and claimed Fox’s statement was false, saying they have 'receipts and witnesses'
- Fox News used similar language in announcing Tucker Carlson’s departure in 2023
- Maria Bartiromo attended Trump’s January 2025 inauguration dinner and posted about it on Instagram
- Maria Bartiromo was appointed to the board of the Kennedy Center in 2023 alongside Laura Ingraham
- Fox News deleted Bartiromo’s staff page by Thursday afternoon after her departure
- Fox News faced legal trouble in 2021 after amplifying false election fraud claims, leading to lawsuits from Dominion and Smartmatic
- Fox’s chief legal officer, Viet Dinh, and his deputy, Raj Shah, left after the Dominion case
- Fox’s response to the O’Leary lawsuit was more reflective of their post-Dominion shift, including a quicker apology after retractions
- Maria Bartiromo’s contract still obliges Fox to pay her millions despite ending her on-air role
- Fox’s most popular hosts, including Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Jesse Watters, remain loyal to Trump despite the network’s shift
- Fox ran Trump’s July 2020 election speech in full despite internal guidance to avoid coverage
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian states Maria Bartiromo was fired on Friday, but the firing was announced by Fox on Thursday with no explanation
- The Guardian mentions Maria Bartiromo’s departure was abrupt and not voluntary, while The Age and SMH describe it as a breach of policy after she shared internal guidance with the White House
- The Guardian states Maria Bartiromo was off the air since early August, but no source confirms the exact date she was taken off air
- The Guardian and The Age/SMH differ on whether Maria Bartiromo’s departure was due to a firing or a policy breach involving the White House
- The Guardian mentions Maria Bartiromo’s contract may prevent her from appearing on other networks, but The Age/SMH do not specify this detail
Source Articles
Maria Bartiromo’s lawyer denies she was fired from Fox News anchor role
Fox announced host’s departure Thursday but gave no explanation, only saying it was effective immediately Maria Bartiromo’s lawyer sharply denied that she was fired from her job at Fox News on Friday, after reports that she was dismissed after divulging the network’s editorial guidance to the White House. Fox announced Bartiromo’s departure on Thursday but provided no explanation, saying only in a statement that it was effective immediately. Continue reading...
The inside story of the downfall of a Trump-loving host at Fox News
A dramatic sequence of events has led to the abrupt end of the on-air career of one of the US president’s favourite personalities at Fox News.
Fox News Media abruptly ousts longtime anchor Maria Bartiromo
Bartiromo had been a host at the network for more than a decade and Fox gave no explanation for the decision Fox News Media on Thursday abruptly ousted one of its most well-known hosts and anchors, Maria Bartiromo, without providing an explanation. “Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the network said in a press release, adding in a statement: “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 and a half years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.” Continue re
The inside story of the downfall of a Trump-loving host at Fox News
A dramatic sequence of events has led to the abrupt end of the on-air career of one of the US president’s favourite personalities at Fox News.
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