A high-profile Donald Trump lackey has made a bizarre error in his tribute to an ousted Fox News host.
Maria Bartiromo, 58, was shown the door from her presenting gig on the conservative network after she allegedly leaked a broadcasting directive about the president to the White House, according to Status.
After the news broke, her former Fox colleague turned Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, posted a tribute to her on X, but he couldn’t stick the landing thanks to a curious typo.
“I just saw that Maria Bartiromo has left Fox Business [and] Fox News [and] so sad to hear. The smartest hardest working journalist [and] absolutely [a] class act. It was an honor to work with him/ her and later to be guest on a show always worth watching.”
The two-time failed presidential candidate’s inclusion of “him/ her” instantly raised eyebrows, and the comments below quickly became full of mockery and predictions about what may have led to the blunder.
None of the predictors guessed correctly, however—at least according to the 71-year-old—who said in a follow-up less than two hours later that the real reason was a bumpy road.
“Thanks for catching the ‘him/her’ line!” he said. “I was typing while riding in vehicle on bumpy street--but have NO idea how that came out! Aside from my clumsy typo mistake, I still love Maria Bartiromo [and] will always have total respect for HER. Just HER, no ‘him’ involved!”
It didn’t really help. Commenters soon began mocking him once again, but this time with added jibes that he had made up a cover story to hide his mistake. Many were distrustful.
The former governor of Arkansas then decided his first stab at redemption hadn’t gone far enough, and tried to get in on the joke himself with a third, even more bizarre, post the next morning.
“Amazing what X followers notice! I/me sent/posted X/Twitter abt my friend/fmr colleague Maria Bartiromo it was NOT AI-but post read him/her (auto-type?) [and] I/me was in car/vehicle on bad/bumpy st. The error/mistake totally me/mine. The message is that Maria Bartiromo is terrific person/professional!”
If the ambassador is currently in his official residence, his last post would have been sent at 5.15 a.m.
Bartiromo’s exit from Fox on Thursday followed an incident in July, when the president gave a primetime address in which he claimed China interfered in the 2020 election.
Fox is reported by Status to have sent around a directive to senior staff telling them to limit coverage of the president’s conspiratorial claims of election interference and instead try to steer conversation away from his remarks.
Fox’s plan nearly worked. But the White House was reportedly left confused by the omission, and an administration official reportedly reached out to Bartiromo to ask why it wasn’t covered.
She allegedly told the official and shared screenshots of messages, which Fox deemed a fireable offense.
The revelation came just hours after Fox announced her departure, saying in a statement: “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 and a half years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.”
Her shows are already being renamed, with Mornings with Maria due to shift to Mornings with Fox Business, while Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street is to become FBN’s Wall Street.
Trump wasn’t pleased about the news of Bartiromo’s departure.
“I can’t believe Maria Bartiromo is no longer going to have her great show(s) on FoxNews/Business. Three different shows, always number one,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“Maria is a total professional, and a true warrior. Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy. God bless you, Maria! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
