Fox News Parts Ways With Maria Bartiromo After 12 Years — Replacement Plans Spark Attention

A major shake-up is underway at Fox News Media after longtime anchor Maria Bartiromo abruptly left the company following more than 12 years with the network.

Fox announced on September 3 that Bartiromo was no longer with FOX News Media, effective immediately. The network did not publicly give a reason, saying only that it thanked her for her 12½ years of work and wished her well.

The viral graphic accompanying the story is therefore based on a real and very recent development. But its wording that she was definitively “FIRED” — and its suggestion that a permanent replacement has already been chosen — goes beyond what Fox has officially confirmed.

Maria Bartiromo Is Out at Fox News Media

Bartiromo had become one of the company's most recognizable personalities.

She joined Fox Business in 2014 after roughly two decades at CNBC. At Fox, she hosted “Mornings with Maria,” “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” and Fox News Channel's “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Her final edition of Mornings with Maria aired September 3. Starting September 4, the program was renamed “Mornings with FOX Business” and moved to a rotating-anchor format.

That means Fox has already removed Bartiromo's name from the morning program rather than simply placing her on a temporary leave.

Who Is Replacing Her?

This is where the viral headline becomes misleading.

Fox has not announced a permanent replacement for Bartiromo's major programs.

For the former Mornings with Maria slot, Fox said it would initially use rotating anchors while it works on a new weekday programming schedule.

Cheryl Casone is hosting the rebranded FBN's Wall Street this week, but Fox says rotating anchors will take over afterward.

Meanwhile, Jason Chaffetz is scheduled to host Sunday Morning Futures on September 6, with Fox saying a permanent host will be announced later.

So the woman pictured alongside Bartiromo in the viral graphic appears to be being used to represent the replacement/transition story, but that does not mean Fox has formally named her as Bartiromo's permanent successor across the network.

Why Did Bartiromo Leave?

The official explanation remains limited.

Fox has described the departure as a business decision, but the company has not publicly provided a detailed explanation.

That lack of explanation has generated considerable speculation.

Several reports have focused on allegations that Bartiromo shared confidential internal Fox guidance with the Trump White House concerning coverage of Trump's claims about the 2020 election. The allegations have not been confirmed by Fox publicly.

Bartiromo's attorney, Bryan Freedman, has strongly disputed reports that she was fired, calling the claims that she was no longer employed by Fox “absolutely and unequivocally false” and saying he has evidence and witnesses to support her position.

That creates an important distinction: Fox says she is no longer with the company; Bartiromo's lawyer disputes the characterization of what happened.

Trump Reacts to Bartiromo's Exit

The departure also drew attention because of Bartiromo's longstanding relationship with Donald Trump and her prominent coverage of him.

Trump publicly expressed disappointment over her departure and praised her professionalism and popularity.

Vice President JD Vance was also asked whether Bartiromo could move into a position in the Trump administration, amid speculation about the White House press secretary job. That possibility has not been announced as a new role for Bartiromo.

Bartiromo's Long Fox Tenure

Bartiromo's departure represents a substantial programming change.

Before joining Fox, she became a prominent financial journalist at CNBC and was particularly associated with live reporting from the New York Stock Exchange. Fox subsequently expanded her role from financial programming into high-profile political interviews and weekend news coverage.

Her Fox career also became entangled in the network's legal controversies surrounding coverage of the 2020 presidential election. Bartiromo was among Fox personalities whose broadcasts were cited in litigation brought by Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic. Fox settled Dominion's lawsuit for $787.5 million in 2023, while the Smartmatic case remained unresolved.

Those controversies are part of the background surrounding the current speculation, but they should not be presented as the confirmed reason for her departure.

What the Viral Graphic Gets Right — and What It Gets Wrong

What's true:
Maria Bartiromo really has left Fox News Media, effective September 3, after approximately 12½ years.

What's also true:
Her former programs are being rebranded and new hosts are being brought in.

What's misleading:
The word “FIRED” presents a disputed characterization as settled fact. Fox confirmed her departure but did not publicly say she was fired for a particular reason, while her attorney has specifically challenged that characterization.

What's unconfirmed:
Fox has not announced a permanent replacement for Sunday Morning Futures or a permanent single host for the rebranded morning program.

Bottom Line

The underlying story is real: Maria Bartiromo is out at Fox News Media in one of the network's most significant recent anchor changes.

But the viral graphic turns an evolving personnel story into a more definitive claim than the evidence currently supports. Fox has confirmed her departure, but the precise circumstances remain disputed, and the network has not yet named a permanent replacement for all of her former roles.