Fox News is facing a furious backlash from MAGA viewers after abruptly parting ways with longtime pro-Trump host Maria Bartiromo and placing former Republican congressman Jason Chaffetz in her Sunday morning chair. Viewers blasted the network as Chaffetz opened his first episode as the program’s temporary host following Bartiromo’s departure, with some declaring that they were switching to Newsmax. Others demanded that Fox bring Bartiromo back.
The uproar followed Fox’s September 3rd announcement that Bartiromo was leaving after more than 12 years with the company. She hosted “Mornings with Maria” and “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” on Fox Business, along with “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News. The network didn’t publicly explain its decision, while Bartiromo’s attorney disputed reports that she’d been fired.
Fox quickly began replacing Bartiromo across its lineup. “Mornings with Maria” became “Mornings with FOX Business” with rotating anchors, while her Friday program was renamed “FBN’s Wall Street.” Cheryl Casone initially took over that program, and Chaffetz was selected to temporarily host “Sunday Morning Futures” until Fox names a permanent replacement.
The backlash intensified when Chaffetz appeared in Bartiromo’s familiar time slot and told viewers, “Welcome to Sunday Morning Futures, I’m Jason Chaffetz.” According to The Daily Beast, conservative commentator Gunther Eagleman responded to the clip, saying, “Wrong. That chair belongs to Maria Bartiromo.”
Eagleman credited Bartiromo with establishing the Sunday program as a destination for conservative viewers. “America still knows who built that show and who owned Sunday mornings. Bring Maria back,” he wrote. Another viewer announced that Fox’s decision had already prompted a change in viewing habits, writing, “I used to watch every Sunday morning. Not today, I went to Newsmax. No more FOX for me.”
Another critic took aim at Chaffetz’s history as a Utah congressman during Paul Ryan’s tenure as House speaker. Ryan, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, currently serves on the Fox Corporation board of directors. “And they selected that swamp rat. Probably Paul Ryan’s selection,” the viewer wrote, while another said, “Sunday mornings just aren’t the same without her. Maria belongs on Sunday Morning Futures…”
Watch Chaffetz take over Bartiromo’s former chair and Eagleman’s response here:
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“Sunday Morning Futures,” which airs from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Eastern, became one of Fox’s strongest weekend programs during Bartiromo’s tenure. She launched the show in 2014 and regularly interviewed Trump and members of his administration. Fox said in its official announcement, “Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” before immediately announcing plans to replace her across all three programs.
Separate reporting alleged that Bartiromo’s departure followed an internal dispute over the network’s handling of Trump’s July primetime address on election security. Bartiromo was accused of sending White House trade adviser Peter Navarro a screenshot of internal Fox guidance concerning coverage of the speech. Fox has not publicly confirmed that account or provided a detailed explanation for the sudden split.
Bartiromo’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, responded on September 4th by declaring reports that she had been fired or was no longer employed by Fox “absolutely and unequivocally false.” He also signaled that the dispute may be far from finished, warning, “Make no mistake, we have the receipts and witnesses and they will come out whether through the courthouse or otherwise.”