Fox News announced it had ended its relationship with longtime host Maria Bartiromo. That led to plenty of speculation that she could be the next White House Press Secretary.
What We Know: Fox News Media — the parent company of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network — parted ways with Bartiromo on Thursday afternoon. Bartiromo spent more than 12 years with the networks. Her final appearance on Fox Business Network was on Friday, August 7th. Her last time on Fox News was on Sunday, August 9th.
What Remains Unclear: It is unknown what Bartiromo’s future looks like. One question many observers asked was whether or not she would be the next White House Press Secretary. The timeline of Maria Bartiromo’s last appearances on the network coincides with the announcement that current White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt would resign from the post. She made her announcement public on Wednesday, August 12th. At Thursday’s press briefing, Vice President JD Vance was asked directly if Bartiromo would succeed Leavitt.
What They Said: “I don’t know, man. No? I don’t think so. Look, I just saw the news literally as I walked out before … I haven’t even talked to her, so I don’t know the backstory about why she’s decided to leave Fox News.” -Vice President JD Vance
What It Means: In spite of Vance’s dismissal of the question, many questioned if Bartiromo’s next stop included the White House briefing room.
What It Means: On the heels of her exit, Maria Bartiromo’s name rocketed up the boards on the prediction markets as the most likely successor to Leavitt. After starting the day at 1%, she is now at 50% on Polymarket as of this publication. On Kalshi, she rose as high as 29% before settling back down toward 9%.
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