US President Donald Trump has publicly reacted to Fox News' surprise decision to part ways with veteran anchor Maria Bartiromo after more than 12 years at the network, praising her as a "total professional" whose "many" fans "will not be happy" about her departure. Fox News gave no official reason for the dismissal beyond calling it "a business decision", though Bartiromo — nicknamed "The Money Honey" during her earlier career at CNBC — had grown increasingly close to Trump and sympathetic to MAGA-aligned claims in recent years, making her exit notable within the network.

Variety reported that Fox News believes Bartiromo leaked an internal directive to the White House, in which network bosses had warned Fox Business producers against amplifying unsubstantiated claims made by Trump, including his July 2026 assertions that US elections were "rigged and stolen" and that China had hacked millions of voter files. Bartiromo, who last appeared on air on 9 August, was also previously named in Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, which the network settled for $787.5 million after allegedly allowing false 2020 election claims to air. She has not commented publicly and has reportedly hired Hollywood attorney Bryan Freedman, known for representing media figures in disputes with employers.