Is Maria Bartiromo Is Out at Fox?

Erin and Kurt break down Maria Bartiromo's shocking exit from Fox amid alleged White House leaks, debate whether Trump and Kamala should campaign for midterm candidates, argue over the best Democratic surrogates, and take on a bipartisan bill to strip pensions from ethics-violating members of Congress.

00:00 — Cold open: Kurt needs a drink after "one of the dumbest conference calls" of his life, and Erin pays off her no-bike-helmet bet after Seth Moulton's primary loss

01:21 — Big story: Maria Bartiromo is out at Fox News and Fox Business

01:48 — Kurt's reaction: losing a "cornerstone" talent this way is shocking — pulled off air in August with no goodbye show

02:57 — Erin draws the comparison to Fox abruptly firing the #1-rated Tucker Carlson

03:35 — How it broke: a brief farewell statement, then reporting (Oliver Darcy) that Bartiromo was allegedly screenshotting internal memos and texts for the administration

04:21 — Kurt on why this is a fireable, contract-breaking offense — and why you never trust "the leakiest people in the professional world" to keep a secret

05:35 — Fox's pattern: nobody's untouchable (Beck, O'Reilly, Megyn Kelly, Tucker) — "Exhibit A: Jesse Waters"

06:03 — Erin: CNN did the same with Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon

07:33 — Jason Chaffetz steps in to fill Bartiromo's morning slot

07:49 — Speculation kicks off: could Bartiromo be in line for White House Press Secretary?

08:12 — Erin's take: unlikely — more probable she goes independent or launches her own venture

09:24 — Kurt's counter-pitch: skip Press Secretary, make her Treasury Secretary

09:39 — Pivoting to the midterms: with ~60 days left, should Trump and Kamala campaign for candidates?

10:51 — Kurt's story from a 2006 special election: turning down a Bush campaign visit — and winning anyway

13:16 — Erin: the calculus is different for Trump (boosts GOP turnout) vs. Kamala (playing forward to 2028)

14:24 — Why telephone town halls are cheap, effective voter contact

15:05 — Best surrogates right now: Kurt argues for executive-experience Democrats — Pritzker, Wes Moore, Andy Beshear — over legislators

16:41 — Erin's pick for Abdul El-Sayed specifically: Shapiro or Buttigieg, to counter attacks branding him a socialist/anti-Semite

18:16 — Kurt on local star power over national names: Colin Allred pairing with Mark Cuban in Texas

19:39 — New bipartisan bill: strip pensions from members of Congress found guilty of ethics violations

20:10 — Erin and Kurt agree: lose your floor privileges, healthcare, and pension if censured or expelled

21:16 — The flip side: should former presidents get lifetime pay so they're not stuck hustling for cash post-office?

22:56 — Means-testing the idea — wealthy ex-presidents like Trump or Romney wouldn't need it

24:04 — Historical context: the presidency wasn't designed for a 40-year retirement

24:34 — Erin on the Bidens' post-presidency cash-ins, with a pointed Hunter Biden aside