Will Maria Bartiromo be Trump’s New Press Secretary Replacing Karoline Leavitt?

Maria Bartiromo was abruptly fired from Fox News on Thursday (September 3), leading to speculation that she could be President Donald Trump‘s new White House press secretary.

Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt officially stepped down at the end of August to spend more time with her family. Rumors have been swirling in recent weeks about who will fill the position, including CNN’s Scott Jennings, who has dodged the question on several occasions.

The timing of Bartiromo’s departure came on the same day that the White House held its first press briefing since Leavitt left the post. Vice President JD Vance conducted the briefing, where he was asked about Bartiromo and the possibility of her becoming the new press secretary.

Vance laughed at the question before responding, “I don’t know, man. No, I don’t think so.”

After saying he’d just heard the news of Bartiromo’s exit, Vance stated, “I love Maria. I think she’s an amazing person, an amazing talent. I don’t get involved in the personal drama of media stations.” He then quipped, “In fact, I’d like to invite Peter Doocy [Fox News correspondent] to come up here and answer a question about what happened to Maria.”

Vance continued, “I wish her all the best. She’s a very, very dear friend. I haven’t even talked to her, so I don’t know the backstory about why she’s decided to leave Fox News.”

Fox News did not provide a reason for Bartiromo’s exit, but the Status newsletter reported that she shared confidential internal guidance with the Trump White House. The outlet said that Bartiromo sent senior White House officials a screenshot of Fox Business directives instructing staffers not to give credence to Trump’s claims about the 2020 election and China following his July primetime speech.

Bartiromo had been with Fox News for over 12 years, hosting the Fox Business Network programs Mornings With Maria and Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street, as well as the weekend show, Sunday Morning Futures.

“We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” Fox News said in a statement on September 3.