Maria Bartiromo Pushed the Envelope on 2020 Election Coverage Before Fox News Exit, Report Claims

Fox News abruptly parted ways with longtime anchor Maria Bartiromo on Thursday, September 3, after more than 12 years with the network, with offering different accounts of what led to her sudden exit.

According to reporting by Status' Oliver Darcy, Bartiromo's departure stemmed from an incident in July that allegedly put her at odds with the network over coverage related to President Donald Trump's claims about the 2020 presidential election.

The topic of the 2020 election was one on which Bartiromo had, for years, very much pushed the envelope. Her coverage was at the heart of the defamation claims made by Dominion Voting Systems, which Fox News settled for $787.5 million in 2023.

The topic of the 2020 election was one on which Bartiromo had, for years, very much pushed the envelope. Her coverage was at the heart of the defamation claims made by Dominion Voting Systems, which Fox News settled for $787.5 million in 2023.

In December 2020, Bartiromo said on the air that an “intel source” had informed her that “President Trump did in fact win the election.”

Status reported that the July incident ultimately contributed to Fox's decision to part ways with Bartiromo, though the network itself has not publicly provided a reason for her departure. The outlet's report characterized the incident as involving Bartiromo's handling of election-related coverage following a speech by Trump.

Her attorney, Bryan Freedman, claimed that reports stating she was fired are “absolutely and unequivocally false.”

“Make no mistake, we have the receipts and witnesses and they will come out whether through the courthouse or otherwise,” he added.

Fox News has not publicly confirmed that Bartiromo's departure was connected to the alleged July incident. The network simply said she was no longer with FOX News Media and thanked her for her work over the last 12½ years.

“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media. We thank Maria for her work over the last 12½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” Fox said in a statement.

Following the announcement, Fox News scrubbed Bartiromo's name from the programs she previously hosted.

Mornings With Maria has been rebranded as Mornings With FOX Business, while Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street has been renamed FBN's Wall Street. Jason Chaffetz is set to host Sunday Morning Futures this weekend while the network searches for a permanent replacement.

Bartiromo's history of 2020 election coverage was also scrutinized during Fox News' legal battle with Dominion. The network ultimately settled the defamation case for $787.5 million, while litigation involving Smartmatic remains ongoing.

Bartiromo's attorney has maintained that the reports surrounding her departure are inaccurate, saying his side has “receipts and witnesses” to support its account.

Fox News, meanwhile, has described her departure only as a company decision and has not publicly explained what prompted the split.