Fox News cancels Lou Dobbs Tonight

Los Angeles Times

Lou Dobbs, TV's staunchest Trump supporter who used his nightly platform as host of Fox Business' highest-rated show to promote 2020 presidential election voter fraud conspiracies, will sign off from his show for the final time Friday night reports the Los Angeles Times, which adds that Dobbs "remains under contract at Fox News but he will in all likelihood not appear on the company's networks again." The cancelation comes one month ahead of Lou Dobbs Tonight's 10th anniversary on Fox Business Network. Next week, Lou Dobbs Tonight, which airs twice nightly at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET, will be retitled Fox Business Tonight with rotating substitute hosts. "The cancellation comes a day after voting software company Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion defamation suit against Fox News and three of its hosts — Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro. The company claims the hosts perpetuated lies and disinformation about Smartmatic’s role in the election, damaging its business and reputation," reports the Los Angeles Times' Stephen Battaglio. "But people familiar with discussions say the decision to end Dobbs’ program was under consideration before the legal issues with Smartmatic arose. (Fox News said it stands by its 2020 election coverage and will "defend this meritless lawsuit in court.')"