Maria Bartiromo disputes reports that Fox News fired her, saying she is still employed and calling the claims false. Her representative, Bryan Freedman, tells The Hollywood Reporter that “irresponsible” reporting is incorrect and that he will pursue the matter through legal channels if needed. Fox News announced that it parted ways with Bartiromo effective immediately after more than 12 years, but did not give a reason.
The outlets describe the trigger for Fox’s action as connected to internal guidance about how to treat claims President Donald Trump made in a July prime-time speech linking China to the 2020 election result. One account says Fox Business management privately instructed senior staff not to lend credibility to the claims and dropped a China-and-2020 story Bartiromo wanted to pursue, citing legal sensitivity after Fox paid Dominion $787.5 million in 2023 over 2020 election coverage. Another report says Bartiromo shared a screenshot or details of that guidance with White House officials.
Several reports also cite additional factors mentioned by sources, including Fox’s exposure in election-related lawsuits involving Smartmatic and ongoing criticism of election-denial narratives attributed to Bartiromo. Some accounts also describe her being isolated at work before the termination announcement, while Fox characterizes the decision as a business matter. Trump publicly criticized Fox’s move on Truth Social.
