“Maria and Bari have already spoken,” a television insider told Shuter. “Maria isn’t sitting around licking her wounds. She’s moving fast, and 60 Minutes is absolutely in the mix.”
If the report proves accurate, the conversations would represent a striking next chapter for Bartiromo, who spent more than a decade building her profile at Fox.
Fox News Media announced Bartiromo’s departure on Sept. 3, abruptly ending her more than 12-year association with the company.
“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the network announced Sept. 3.
“We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 ½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” Fox added.
The announcement offered little explanation for what prompted the split. A Fox spokesperson characterized the matter as a “business decision,” while Axios subsequently reported that the network confirmed Bartiromo had been fired for business reasons.
But Bartiromo’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, strongly rejected that characterization.
“The irresponsible reports that have been published stating that Maria Bartiromo was fired or is no longer an employee of Fox are absolutely and unequivocally false,” Freedman said. “Make no mistake, we have the receipts and witnesses and they will come out whether through the courthouse or otherwise.”
He added, “Those reporting her firing or the incredulous facts supporting that fiction have exhibited a complete and utter reckless disregard for the truth.”
The disagreement over Bartiromo’s status emerged amid reporting concerning an alleged dispute over Fox’s internal editorial operations.
Status reported that Bartiromo allegedly provided confidential Fox editorial guidance to the White House regarding the network’s coverage of President Donald Trump. Neither Fox’s public announcement nor its description of the departure as a business decision publicly identified that allegation as the reason for Bartiromo’s exit.
Despite the controversy surrounding her departure, Bartiromo appears to have no intention of quietly disappearing from the media landscape.
Shuter reported that the longtime anchor is determined to remain a significant figure in television news and that conversations with Weiss could potentially open the door to a new platform.
“Maria brings something Bari understands is valuable: access,” the insider said, pointing to Bartiromo’s relationships with “CEOs, billionaires, political power players and Wall Street titans.”
That network of contacts has been central to Bartiromo’s career.
She first became a major television personality at CNBC, where her financial-market reporting helped make her one of the most recognizable business journalists in the country. She later joined Fox in 2014 and went on to host multiple programs spanning Fox News and Fox Business.
A move to CBS would therefore represent more than a routine network change. It would place a familiar but distinctly different media personality inside one of the country’s most established broadcast-news organizations.
“Maria believes she still belongs at the biggest table in television. There is no bigger table than 60 Minutes,” the source continued.
For now, however, there is no publicly announced agreement between Bartiromo and CBS. The reported discussions remain just that — discussions — and it is unclear whether they will ultimately result in an on-air position.
The CBS speculation is not the only possibility that has surrounded Bartiromo since her Fox departure became public.
Her name was also reportedly mentioned as a potential candidate to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary. But Vice President JD Vance appeared to dismiss that possibility when questioned about it during a Sept. 3 White House briefing.
“I don’t know, man. No, I don’t think so,” Vance said before speaking positively about Bartiromo and noting that he had not discussed her Fox departure with her.
President Trump, meanwhile, publicly expressed his disappointment over Bartiromo’s departure and praised her work.
“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. Maria is a total professional, and a true warrior,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
He added, “Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy. God bless you, Maria!”
Those comments underscore the stature Bartiromo has built during her decades in financial and political broadcasting.
Whether her next destination is CBS, “60 Minutes,” another major network, or something entirely different remains to be seen. But if the reported discussions with Weiss are any indication, Bartiromo may already be positioning herself for another high-profile chapter.
For a broadcaster with a long-established audience and deep connections across Wall Street, corporate America and Washington, the end of her Fox tenure may prove to be less of a finale than a transition.
