Maria Bartiromo, one of President Donald Trump's most prominent television allies, has abruptly left Fox News after more than a decade at the network. Fox gave no reason for her departure, fueling speculation that the longtime host could be headed for a role in the Trump administration. In a statement provided to Newsweek, Fox said that "effective today," Bartiromo was no longer with the network, adding that, “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 1/2 years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.” The departure is effective immediately.
Her final episode of Mornings with Maria aired Thursday, while her weekly program, Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street, is being rebranded as FBN’s Wall Street. Her Sunday Morning Futures slot will temporarily be filled by Jason Chaffetz, with Fox saying a permanent successor will be announced later. Bartiromo’s exit is notable because she was still a ratings success at Fox.
Her Sunday Morning Futures was the network’s top-rated weekend program, averaging roughly 1.9 million viewers in the second quarter this year. There is no indication that poor ratings drove the decision. The big question now is whether Bartiromo, 58, is headed from television to Washington, possibly as the replacement for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who left the job in August.
Bartiromo has maintained a close relationship with Trump and has frequently given him a friendly platform, but she has also at times publicly challenged members of his administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over the rollout and messaging of Trump’s tariff policy. Fox has not said what Bartiromo plans to do next. Newsweek reached out to Bartiromo and the White House for comment.
Bartiromo's biggest controversy remains her coverage of the 2020 presidential election. During and after the election, she gave substantial airtime to Trump's allegations that the election had been stolen. She also repeatedly interviewed Trump lawyer Sidney Powell despite questions about the evidentiary basis for Powell's claims.
Those broadcasts later became important in the Dominion Voting Systems litigation against Fox. Bartiromo defended her approach, saying in deposition testimony that her audience wanted to hear what Trump and his legal team were doing and that she was pressing them about the evidence. She was also named as a defendant in Smartmatic's defamation litigation against Fox News, along with Fox and other personalities.
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