Fox News abruptly fired Maria Bartiromo, one of the network’s most prominent pro-Trump anchors, on Thursday after she allegedly shared confidential editorial guidance with senior White House officials—a move that has stunned conservatives and revived memories of the network’s previous high-profile breakups with Tucker Carlson, Bill O’Reilly, and Lou Dobbs.

Fox announced Bartiromo’s departure without offering a detailed explanation, stating only: “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.” The network separately characterized the move as a “business decision.” Bartiromo had not appeared on air since Aug. 9.

Multiple media reports say the immediate dispute involved Bartiromo allegedly taking a screenshot of internal Fox Business editorial instructions and sending it to White House officials. According to reports cited by Variety and Mediaite, Fox Business executives had instructed producers following President Donald Trump’s July 16 prime-time address to avoid reporting on some of his key allegations involving China and the 2020 election. Fox executives reportedly discovered the leak after receiving a call from the White House. Variety noted that divulging confidential company information to an outside party would likely constitute a violation of employment terms. Fox also parted ways with Bartiromo’s executive producer, Patrick Ignozzi.

Trump’s July address had focused heavily on election security and China. He alleged that China had obtained data involving some 220 million U.S. voters and accused Beijing of trying to undermine him in 2020, claims that some election experts disputed.

The reported Fox directive came against the backdrop of the network’s costly litigation over its 2020 election coverage. Fox agreed in 2023 to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to settle its defamation lawsuit. Bartiromo was among the Fox personalities whose broadcasts figured prominently in the litigation.

For some of Fox’s pro-Trump viewers, Bartiromo’s sudden removal also recalls a succession of departures by highly rated personalities. Fox abruptly parted ways with Tucker Carlson in April 2023, less than a week after the Dominion settlement, and never publicly provided a detailed explanation for firing its highest-rated prime-time host.

Liberal media journalist Yashar Ali posted on X that he was not surprised by Bartiromo’s departure, writing: “Maria Bartiromo has learned a lesson that others at Fox News have learned over the years: the patience of the Murdochs is not unlimited, and while they may be conservative and align with Trump in many areas, their ultimate loyalty is only to themselves and their own interests.”