Maria Bartiromo, longtime host on Fox Business and two-time Emmy Award winner, is no longer part of the network. Fox announced in a statement on Thursday that the news anchor is out as host "effective today." The statement, brief and terse, sounded similar to the one released by the network when Tucker Carlson was fired.
“We thank Maria for her work over the last 12.5 years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” the statement added, without elaborating further. But those who were used to watching her on Fox Business for the last 12 years wondered if she was fired.
More importantly, many also wondered if the 58-year-old could join the Trump administration. The buzz about the second is even more so, given the position of the White House Press Secretary is still vacant after Karoline Leavitt's departure.
Is Maria Bartiromo Joining Trump's White House?
One of the staunchest advocates of Trump's SAVE America Act, Maria Bartiromo has been a controversial figure at the network. Fox News did not provide any details around why the veteran anchor was leaving. Bartiromo or her team has not released a statement yet.
Also read: American Airlines to give kids a $1,000 boost in Trump Accounts from 2027
{{/usCountry}}Also read: American Airlines to give kids a $1,000 boost in Trump Accounts from 2027
{{/usCountry}}As she left, speculation grew around her joining Trump at the White House as a member of his staff. Many even naturally assumed that that would be her next step.
However, Aidan McLaughlin, the Washington correspondent for Vanity Fair, reported that Maria Bartiromo is not slated to join the White House. "Bartiromo is not leaving for a job in the Trump admin, I’m told," he wrote in an X post.
Speculations Rise Around White House Role
Despite reporting that Maria Bartiromo is likely not joining in a White House role. many continued to fancy her to replace Trump's trusted Karoline Leavitt as the new White House Press Secretary.
Among them was also the US House Representative for New York's 11th Congressional District, Nicole Malliotakis.
Also read: New Pentagon guidelines temporarily rescind testosterone screening for US Army troops: Report
"Maria Bartiromo is the best in the business and a proud product of our congressional district. I’m sad to see her leave Fox but I know she’ll be successful in whatever she chooses to do next! Maybe it’s time for a Brooklyn girl to be the next White House Press Secretary?" she wrote in a X post.
“This is horrible news. The only way this makes sense is if Maria is set to become the next Press Secretary,” wrote Dr Hank Desmond, a professor of logic at the University of Arkansas College. "She is just as attractive as Karoline Leavitt, just in a more mature and matronly way. I enjoyed looking at her on the televisions at the gym, even if the volume was off."
This story is being updated.