Lou Dobbs, the conservative political commentator and television host who appears nightly on Fox Business Network, has died. He was 78 years old.
His death was announced on Thursday in a post on his official X The account described him as a “fighter to the bitter end – fighting for what was most important to him: God, his family and the country.”
“Lou’s legacy as a patriot and great American will live on forever. We ask for your prayers for Lou’s wonderful wife Debi, children and grandchildren,” the post said.
From 2011 to 2021, he hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on FOX Business after previously working twice at CNN.
Fox News Media said in a statement that the network was saddened by Dobbs’ death.
“Lou was an incredible businessman with a gift for broadcasting and helped make cable news a successful and influential industry,” the statement said. “We are immensely grateful for his many contributions and extend our deepest condolences to his family.”
Dobbs was in a Lawsuit against Fox News of Dominion Voting Systems for lies spread on the network about the 2020 presidential election. A mediator urged the two sides to reach a Settlement of $787 millionto avoid a lawsuit. Mountain of evidence — some damning, others merely embarrassing — showed that many Fox executives and anchors did not believe the allegations, which aired primarily on shows hosted by Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro. They feared angering Trump fans in the audience with the truth.
When Dobbs joined Fox Business, he said he considered himself an outsider. A few years later, his show was very successful and he was a key figure on the right-leaning network.
“We’re going to focus on the American people, their standard of living… the American nation,” he said of his show in 2011. “Those are always my starting points.”
Dobbs’ Fox show was called “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” just like the show he left in 2009 after a difficult final few years at CNN. Once the best-known business journalist on television in the 1990s with his show “Moneyline,” Dobbs began to worry CNN management when he became increasingly opinionated, drawing angry protests from Latinos for emphasizing curbing illegal immigration.
He was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and regularly praised the businessman-turned-president on his show. Trump gave a opinion Praise for Dobbs late Thursday.
“He understood the world and what was ‘happening’ better than most,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Lou was one of a kind in many ways and loved our country. Our deepest condolences go out to his wonderful wife Debi and family. He will be greatly missed!”
Dobbs delved into the complex political and economic issues affecting society and said he always wanted to be honest with his viewers about his views on the issues.
“My audience has always expected me to tell them where I come from and I see no reason to disappoint them,” he said in 2011.