"You'll get plenty of more opening days. Let Howie and Keith Raad finish it the right way with 40,000 people, with optimism, hope, and then Howie can drop the mic and say I'm out."
Whatever the underlying motivation, the message to every other host and producer on the payroll is the same: sharing confidential editorial strategy with outside political figures will get you fired. No matter how close you are to the audience or the administration.
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.
"You're either naturally comfortable or you're not. And I'm lucky that I'm naturally comfortable in those positions. I'm open to it. Not everyone has the personality that wants to defend their positions ... I legitimately enjoy talking to people I disagree with."
"You'll get plenty of more opening days. Let Howie and Keith Raad finish it the right way with 40,000 people, with optimism, hope, and then Howie can drop the mic and say I'm out."