In a stunning announcement, Shepard Smith announced on his Friday show that after more than two decades at Fox News, he was stepping down as chief news anchor, and leaving the network.
“This is my last newscast here,” Smith said.
Smith said that he recently asked Fox to allow him to leave to begin a “new chapter.”
“After requesting that I stay, they graciously obliged,” Smith said.
Smith signed off his newscast saying, “Even in our current polarized nation, it is my hope that the facts will win the day, that the truth will always matter, that journalism and journalists will thrive.”
Smith’s departure comes as tension between the network’s news and opinion divisions reaches an all-time high. In the Trump era, and particularly in the last several weeks, the people working for Fox’s news division have seen their work undermined by their opinion colleagues. Recently, Smith engaged in a feud with opinion host Tucker Carlson.
This is a developing story. Check back for more…
