Maria Bartiromo Departs Fox News and Fox Business After 12-Year Run
Maria Bartiromo, the veteran broadcast journalist who transitioned from a standout career on CNBC to becoming a fixture at Fox News and Fox Business Network, has officially parted ways with the organization. The departure marks the end of a 12-and-a-half-year tenure that significantly shaped the network’s financial and political programming.
“We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” the company stated in a brief announcement on Thursday.
The split follows a period of quiet transition; Bartiromo had not appeared on air since August 9. Thursday marked the final broadcast of Mornings with Maria, the show built around her tenure on the Fox Business Network. Notably, the anchor did not offer a farewell to her audience, and as of Thursday afternoon, she has remained silent regarding the news on her social media channels.
A Network Rebranding
The departure triggers a significant restructuring of Fox’s business lineup. Fox Business Network announced that Mornings with Maria will be retitled Mornings with Fox Business and will transition to a rotating anchor format. Similarly, her weekly program, Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street, will be rebranded as FBN’s Wall Street, with Cheryl Casone taking over hosting duties this week before moving to a rotating guest host model.
On the Fox News Channel, Sunday programming is also seeing a shakeup. Jason Chaffetz has been tapped to anchor Sunday Morning Futures in the interim, with a permanent host for the long-running program to be announced at a future date.
A Legacy of Highs and Controversy
Bartiromo’s arrival at Fox in 2014 was initially framed as a power move to bolster the network’s financial authority. In a 2014 interview with Variety, she emphasized a desire to avoid the “sound bite” culture of competing networks, pledging to provide deeper, high-level analysis for knowledgeable investors.
However, her later years at the network were defined by shifts in editorial tone. As she increasingly leaned into right-wing political commentary, her segments often drew scrutiny for the inclusion of conspiracy theories. The network faced public backlash in June after Bartiromo was forced to read an on-air apology following a false accusation made by guest Kevin O’Leary, who claimed that opponents of his Utah data center project were being funded by China.
Bartiromo’s tenure was also closely intertwined with one of the most significant legal challenges in media history. She was among the Fox personnel cited in the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems in 2021. The suit alleged that the network, including Bartiromo’s programs, broadcast false claims regarding the 2020 presidential election to appease viewers. Fox eventually settled that case for $787.5 million.
Part of a Pattern
The exit of Maria Bartiromo follows a historical trend of high-profile departures at Fox News. Over the years, the network has parted ways with major talent for varying reasons—ranging from the high-profile firing of Tucker Carlson in 2023 to the 2017 termination of Bill O’Reilly amid sexual harassment allegations.
As Fox moves forward with its new daytime lineup, the network is once again forced to reconcile its identity, attempting to pivot back toward a more traditional business-focused format while moving past the controversy that marked the final years of one of its most recognizable faces.
