"Leaked Internal Guidance to White House"... Fox News Fires Anchor Close to Trump

Attorney Refutes, "Firing Is False... We Will Reveal the Truth"

A flagship anchor at Fox News, the conservative U.S. broadcaster known for its close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, has been abruptly dismissed.

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) being interviewed by Maria Bartiromo, former Fox News anchor. White House

On September 3 (local time), leading U.S. media outlets such as CNN reported that Fox News announced, "As of today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with Fox News Media." Bartiromo, who moved to Fox in 2014 from CNBC, had been the so-called "flagship anchor," hosting "Mornings With Maria" and "Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street" on Fox Business, as well as the Sunday current affairs program "Sunday Morning Futures" on Fox News.

Fox News described Bartiromo's departure simply as a "business decision." However, CNN, citing anonymous sources, reported that the direct reason for her dismissal was the allegation that Bartiromo leaked confidential company information to the Trump White House.

On July 16, President Trump delivered a national address claiming that China had extensively interfered in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Bartiromo wished to cover this issue on air, but Fox News management instructed her not to report on the conspiracy theory. It was reported that Bartiromo relayed these instructions to White House officials via text message.

According to CNN, this entire incident eventually became known to Fox News management, and the company considered this a breach of her employment contract.

Upon learning of Bartiromo's dismissal on the night of September 3, President Trump responded on his Truth Social social network: "Maria is a true professional and a brave fighter," adding that "many fans will not be happy with this news."

However, Bartiromo's attorney countered, "Any irresponsible report that Maria Bartiromo was fired or that she is no longer an employee of Fox News is blatantly false," adding that "we will use any legal means necessary—including litigation—to uncover the truth."

Meanwhile, according to the Washington Post, in 2015 and 2016, Bartiromo came to be known as a supporter of President Trump after moderating Republican primary debates. She later interviewed President Trump after he lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, during which Trump claimed the election was rigged. Bartiromo did not ask for any evidence regarding his claims during that interview.

Afterward, Fox News was sued by election technology companies—Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems—on allegations of broadcasting unfounded election fraud conspiracy theories. Fox News eventually settled with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 for a substantial sum.

Even after the beginning of the Trump Administration's second term, Bartiromo continued to highlight her close relationship by conducting two in-person interviews with President Trump.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.