Last updated : September 2026
Fox News Media has suddenly cut ties with long-time financial reporter Maria Bartiromo. This ends her 12-and-a-half years at the network. Her sudden exit on Thursday caused an immediate public fight. Her new lawyers strongly deny that she was fired. At the same time, media reports claim she was let go for leaking internal information to the Trump White House.
The 58-year-old host started as a groundbreaking financial reporter and became one of the network’s top political interviewers. She had been missing from her TV shows since early August. On Thursday morning, shortly after her morning show ended, Fox News released a short statement confirming she was leaving.
“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the network announced. When reporters asked for more details, Fox called it a “business decision”. “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter”.
New TV Schedule and Changes
Fox quickly removed Bartiromo’s name from its daily and weekly shows. They are using temporary and rotating hosts to fill her three time slots on two different networks. By Thursday afternoon, the Fox Business Network had deleted her staff page from its website.
Even with the drama in her final years, Bartiromo kept a loyal audience. Her morning show, Mornings with Maria, recently had about 123,000 viewers per episode. This was a 17 percent jump from the month before, making it the top show in its time slot for 13 months in a row.
| Old Show Name | Network | Air Time | New Show Name | New Host(s) |
| Mornings with Maria | Fox Business | Weekdays, 6-9 AM ET | Mornings with FOX Business | Rotating hosts |
| Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street | Fox Business | Fridays, 7 PM ET | FBN’s Wall Street | Cheryl Casone, then rotating |
| Sunday Morning Futures | Fox News | Sundays, 10 AM ET | Sunday Morning Futures | Jason Chaffetz (temporary) |
Data showing immediate TV schedule changes after Bartiromo’s exit.
Claims of Leaks and White House Involvement
The sudden news of her leaving reminded many of when Fox fired star Tucker Carlson in 2023. It caused a lot of guessing about why she left. News outlets Status and Puck News reported that Bartiromo was fired because she shared private company messages with the Trump White House.
The reports say Bartiromo wanted to cover a story about conspiracy theories involving China and the 2020 election. These topics were connected to a speech President Trump gave on July 16 about the SAVE America Act. Fox News bosses told staff not to push these claims because the network is still dealing with major lawsuits. A boss sent Bartiromo a text message saying she could not do the story.
Bartiromo reportedly took a picture of this private message and sent it to top White House officials. The White House then called Fox News to complain about the decision. This phone call showed Fox bosses that there had been a leak. The bosses saw this sharing of private rules as a huge break of trust. This led to her getting fired, along with her producer, Patrick Ignozzi.
Lawyers Fight Back
Fox stated clearly that she is “no longer with” them, but Bartiromo’s team fought back on Friday. She hired famous lawyer Bryan Freedman, who has worked for Chris Cuomo and the Michael Jackson estate. Freedman quickly denied that she had been fired.
“The irresponsible reports that have been published stating that Maria Bartiromo was fired or is no longer an employee of Fox are absolutely and unequivocally false,” Freedman said in a public statement.
Freedman also hinted at a lawsuit, saying, “Make no mistake, we have the receipts and witnesses, and they will come out whether through the courthouse or otherwise. Those reporting her firing or the incredulous facts supporting that fiction have exhibited a complete and utter reckless disregard for the truth”.
Freedman’s statement goes directly against what Fox News said on Thursday. TV experts say networks sometimes take a host off the air but keep paying them to avoid a lawsuit. Bartiromo’s contract is said to last until 2029. This means her exit could turn into a long legal and money fight.
Political Reactions and Rumors
News of her leaving spread fast in Washington. President Donald Trump, who often went on her Sunday show for friendly interviews, reacted quickly. Writing on his Truth Social site late Thursday, Trump praised his long-time friend and did not like the network’s choice.
“I can’t believe Maria Bartiromo is no longer going to have her great show(s) on FoxNews/Business,” Trump said. “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!”.
Her exit also started rumors that Bartiromo might get a job in the Trump White House. Some thought she might replace Karoline Leavitt, who left her job as White House press secretary in late August. Vice President JD Vance talked about these rumors during a press meeting at the White House on Thursday. When a reporter asked if Bartiromo might get the job, Vance shot down the idea.
“I don’t know, man. No, I don’t think so,” Vance told reporters. “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. I don’t get involved in the personal drama of media stations… Whatever she does, she’s going to do great, and I wish her all the best. She’s a very, very dear friend”.
A Career Hurt by Major Lawsuits
Bartiromo’s exit happens while Fox News faces two huge lawsuits. These lawsuits are about the network’s reporting on the 2020 election. Because of them, Fox is now very careful about airing election conspiracy theories. Bartiromo was a main target in a $1.6 billion lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems. Fox paid $787.5 million in April 2023 to settle that case just before the trial started.
Also, Bartiromo is still a major target in an ongoing $2.7 billion lawsuit from Smartmatic, another voting machine company. Until Thursday, she was the last person named in the Smartmatic case who still worked at Fox. The others—Lou Dobbs, Tucker Carlson, and Jeanine Pirro—had already left.
Private messages released during the lawsuits showed that Bartiromo pushed her team to cover claims of election cheating. She wrote in one message, “#1 story all trump supporters want right now is stop the steal… They do not believe the ejection [sic] was fair or honest. So fox needs to cover it”. The lawsuit also showed that Bartiromo made about $70 million during her time at Fox.
Under oath, Bartiromo said she was just doing her job as a reporter by asking questions. She strongly denied knowing the election fraud claims were fake when they aired. However, her choice to air unproven claims has caused big problems. She once used a memo from a source who said the wind talked to her and admitted her own ideas were crazy. Her shows caused other legal trouble for Fox, too. Earlier this summer, Fox had to say sorry after businessman Kevin O’Leary made false claims on her show. He said people against a Utah data center were working for the Chinese government.
This messy exit is very different from her early career. Before becoming a big conservative voice at Fox News, she spent 20 years building a great name at CNBC as a top financial reporter. In the 1990s, she made history as the first TV reporter to broadcast live from the busy floor of the New York Stock Exchange. She earned the nickname “Money Honey” and won two Emmy Awards.
Strangely, in April 2026, just a few months before she left, Bartiromo won a big award called the Horatio Alger Award. In an interview about her career, she shared advice that seems surprising now. “The most important rules are: work hard, there are no shortcuts… Integrity matters,” she said. “Have the courage to follow the truth and not the crowds”.
FAQs
Why did Maria Bartiromo leave Fox News?
News reports claim Fox News fired Bartiromo because she leaked private company messages to the Trump White House. Officially, Fox News called her exit a “business decision”.
Who is replacing Maria Bartiromo on Fox News?
Fox is using temporary and rotating hosts to fill her time slots. Jason Chaffetz will host her Sunday show for now, and Cheryl Casone will help host her Friday night show.
Will Maria Bartiromo join the Trump White House?
There were rumors that she might become the new White House press secretary. However, Vice President JD Vance shot down these rumors, saying he does not think that will happen.
Was Maria Bartiromo fired from Fox News?
Many news reports and Fox’s quick schedule changes suggest she was fired. But her new lawyer, Bryan Freedman, strongly denies she was fired and claims they have proof she is still an employee.
What TV shows did Maria Bartiromo host?
She hosted three main programs: Mornings with Maria on Fox Business, Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street on Fox Business, and Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News
