Lou Dobbs, the longtime host of the signature right-wing talk show on the Fox Business Network, was canned by the network on Friday night. "Lou Dobbs Tonight" is off the air, effective immediately, a Fox spokesperson confirmed. An interim show will take Dobbs' place at 5 and 7 p.m. Eastern starting Monday.
It was a head-scratching change by Fox Business, since Dobbs was its highest-rated host, albeit on a relatively low-rated network. He often doubled his lead-in's ratings, which is a rare feat in television.
Dobbs, a veteran financial news anchor, became known at Fox Business for his sycophantic pro-Trump programs. He was one of the former president's biggest boosters on television, and Trump regularly thanked him in return.
In one of Trump's first statements since leaving the White House, he effusively praised his friend, saying Dobbs "is and was great. Nobody loves America more than Lou. He had a large and loyal following that will be watching closely for his next move, and that following includes me."
The pro-Trump propaganda bent juiced Dobbs' ratings. But his far- right programming choices repeatedly caused consternation within the company, a source close to the matter said, and his program was a loss leader for Fox because many advertisers didn't want to be associated with his content.
Most recently, Dobbs was named in a $2.7 billion lawsuit filed by a voting technology company, Smartmatic, on Thursday.
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