Fox News viewers are threatening to abandon the network after the departure of Maria Bartiromo on September 3, with many pointing to the continued presence of co-host Jessica Tarlov as a second reason to walk away. The backlash has flooded social media, with some longtime viewers saying they are done with the channel entirely.
Bartiromo hosted three programs across Fox News and Fox Business before the network issued a brief statement thanking her for 12 years of service. Fox offered no explanation for her exit, and no public indication that anything beyond a routine departure was involved.
Bartiromo’s Attorney Warns of ‘Receipts and Witnesses’
The day after Fox’s statement, Bartiromo’s attorney Bryan Freedman pushed back sharply. “The irresponsible reports that have been published stating that Maria Bartiromo was fired or is no longer an employee of Fox are absolutely and unequivocally false,” Freedman said. He warned that his client had “receipts and witnesses” that would surface “whether through the courthouse or otherwise.” Fox News responded by standing behind its original statement.
The legal dispute added fuel to an audience already upset with the network’s direction. According to Fox News viewer backlash over Bartiromo, the anger quickly spread on the social media platform X, where viewers tied their frustration over Bartiromo’s exit directly to their grievances about Tarlov, the left-leaning co-host on “The Five.”
Viewer Anger Targets Tarlov and Fox’s Broader Lineup
Many commenters said Tarlov had already cost Fox their viewership before the Bartiromo news even broke. “I quit watching The Five because of Jessica Tarlov and now I’ve quit watching Sunday Morning,” one user wrote. Others were more blunt. “No thanks,” one viewer posted. “I want to watch Maria.” Another declared simply, “I refuse to watch Fox Sunday.”
The criticism spread beyond the two names driving the initial controversy. User Jules Malone offered a broad critique of the network’s current talent lineup. “Exactly. Now, They put Arthel Neville on Outnumbered, Wrong. So, That show’s cooked. Fox and Friends is horrible. Sean Hannity is so arrogant and his pen clicking and his whistle tooth is insufferable. Bret Baier is boring and arrogant. Sick of seeing Pence on there,” Malone wrote.
What Comes Next for Fox and Its Audience
Pro-Trump viewers have long called for Tarlov’s removal from “The Five,” arguing her presence alienates the network’s core audience. The Bartiromo situation gave those viewers a second flashpoint, and the combination appears to have pushed a meaningful segment of viewers toward the exit.
Whether the threatened boycotts hold or fade remains unclear. But the volume and specificity of the complaints signal that Fox is managing real tension between its editorial decisions and the loyalty of a viewer base that feels the network is drifting away from them.
