Neil Cavuto was forced to leave Fox News because his show was a “wormhole to another time” before Donald Trump took over the Republican Party.
The 66-year-old host ended his 28-year tenure with the network on Thursday afternoon.
Cavuto was rumored to have refused to sign a new contract, which the star described as “a very generous opportunity” during his last show.
However, it is believed that Cavuto may have been the latest cable news anchor to be asked to take less money, following similar reports in recent weeks about CNN and MSNBC talent cutting their pay.
However, Fox News tops cable viewership every week and reportedly brings in more than a billion dollars in profits annually.
“For someone who has been with the channel since its founding in 1996 and who has put his heart and soul into the company, that probably stung a little,” Oliver Darcy reported in his Status newsletter.
The LA Times also suggested that Cavuto’s new contract would have been for less, as a cost-saving measure.
The bigger problem is that Cavuto is one of the few Trump-skeptical voices left at the network after the resignations of Shepard Smith and Chris Wallace in recent years.
Neil Cavuto was forced to leave Fox News because his show was a ‘wormhole to another time’ before Donald Trump took over the Republican Party
Cavuto is one of the few Trump-skeptical voices left at the network following the resignations of Shepard Smith and Chris Wallace in recent years
After Trump became the standard-bearer in 2016, conservative media became more aligned with him.
“Donald Trump has not only reshaped the Republican Party in his own image, but he has also reshaped the right-wing media landscape within it. Fox News’ 2024 lineup is a reflection of that,” Darcy claims.
Trump himself celebrated Cavuto’s departure from the network in a Truth Social post following the announcement.
He wrote: ‘GOOD NEWS FOR AMERICA! Neil Cavuto, by far the lowest-rated anchor at Fox, is leaving. That should have happened a long time ago!’
The Murdoch family and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott would likely spend less money on someone who would get higher ratings and cause fewer problems with the new president.
In a statement, Fox News said: ‘Neil Cavuto’s illustrious career has been a masterclass in journalism, and we are immensely proud of his incredible 28-year career at FOX News Media.
“His programs have defined business news and set the standard for the entire industry. We wish him a sincere farewell and all the best in his next chapter.’
His programming has become known for his willingness to invoke newly elected President Donald Trump and has often been a target of Trump.
The Murdoch family and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott would likely spend less money on someone who would get higher ratings and cause fewer problems with the new president.
Cavuto has been an outspoken critic of the frequent denial of the Covid vaccine, especially after a second bout of the virus that nearly killed him.
In September of this year, Trump criticized Cavuto as “one of the WORST on television” after Cavuto said he lost the debate to Kamala Harris.
In a Truth Social post, he said, “Neil Cavuto, Fox’s lowest rated host, is one of the WORST on television. I actually prefer the losers at CNN and MSDNC.”
Cavuto also went after the president-elect in 2020 after he promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid.
Trump went on a Twitter rant, claiming the network had “more anti-Trump people by far than ever before.”
His former Fox colleague and conservative rabble-rouser Tucker Carlson also targeted him in 2020 after cutting then-White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
McEnany had been repeating Trump’s claims about illegal voting when Cavuto decided to call it quits, much to the chagrin of Carlson, who called it media censorship.
He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997 and underwent open heart surgery in 2016.
Cavuto also went after the president-elect in 2020 after he promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid
He helped launch “Your World” when the network first went live in 1996 and later helmed “Cavuto Live” in 2018.
The network said a series of rotating anchors would take over Cavuto’s duties until a new show is announced in the new year.
His departure comes amid widespread budget cuts at cable news networks, including CNN.
Star journalists have left several networks rather than take smaller salaries.
This week, senior CNN contributor Gloria Borger announced her plans to leave the company after 17 years.
Her departure came just days after CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota abruptly resigned for the final time after a decade with the network.
Weeks earlier, executives cut ties with veteran Chris Wallace, who insiders had said just days earlier would likely have taken a pay cut had he decided to stay. The 77-year-old reportedly earned $7 million a year.