Shep Smith had been with Fox News since 1996, but after Trump and his Fox primetime host allies complained, Fox pushed him out.
Smith announced that Friday was his last show on Fox News, “Recently I asked the company to allow me to leave FOX News and begin a new chapter. After requesting that I stay, they graciously obliged. The opportunities afforded this guy from small town Mississippi have been many. It’s been an honor and a privilege to report the news each day to our loyal audience in context and with perspective, without fear or favor. I’ve worked with the most talented, dedicated and focused professionals I know, and I’m proud to have anchored their work each day—I will deeply miss them.”
Video of Smith making the announcement to his audience:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
When an anchor with years left on his contract suddenly leaves on a Friday, something happened, and that something is rumored to be complaints:
Trump and Sean Hannity have nightly bedtime chats, so it is a safe bet that the bosses at Fox got the message from the White House.
After Attorney General William Barr met with Rupert Murdoch, Smith was out the next day. Since nothing in politics is a coincidence, it is likely that the White House, specifically, Fox’s biggest fan in the Oval Office complained.
Trump had previously tweeted a complaint about Smith:
It is not difficult to piece together what happened. The White House and Trump Fox primetime host allies, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham went to Murdoch and complained. Fox responded by telling Shep Smith to get with the program, or else. Shep Smith chose or else, and now he is gone.
Smith will have no trouble getting a new job once his non-compete clause expires.
The bigger message here is that Fox News has decided to go down with the Trump ship. Fox News is Trump propaganda, and the message sent to all Republicans is that they better get on board or get out.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
Maybe he was still groggy from napping all day, but Donald Trump walked away when…
Trump and his lawyers are now trying to get the judge to block ex-White House…
Donald Trump spoke to the media on Friday morning without awareness of what he was…
The Biden administration went beyond rolling back Trump's weakening of Title IX sex discrimination protections…
A senior official at Turning Point Action has resigned after allegedly committing election fraud by…
Trump thought that he would never stand trial and now that reality is setting in,…
This website uses cookies.