Lou Dobbs, veteran cable news anchor and Trump booster, dies at 78

Lou Dobbs, the longtime business news anchor who became one of Donald Trump’s most vocal supporters in media, died on Thursday. He was 78.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of ‘the great Lou Dobbs,’” a statement posted on his official social media account said, calling him a “fighter till the very end.”

Dobbs had a lengthy career in broadcast journalism, spending more than two decades at CNN, which he joined at its inception in 1980 and anchoring the program “Moneyline.” Dobbs left CNN in 2009 to help media mogul Rupert Murdoch launch the Fox Business Network.

“Lou was one of the CNN originals, who helped launch and shape the network. We are saddened to hear about his passing and extend our sincerest condolences to his wife Debi, children and his family,” a CNN spokesperson said.

As Donald Trump ascended in Republican Party politics, Dobbs became one of his most ardent supporters, using his program to promote anti-immigrant rhetoric and lash out at the so-called “deep state.”

As one of Trump’s biggest boosters on television, the veteran anchor spent the latter part of his career promoting streams of misinformation and conspiracy theories on behalf of the then-president.

Trump regularly praised Dobbs in return, often posting clips of his show on his social media channels. Trump on Thursday praised Dobbs as a friend and “truly incredible journalist, reporter, and talent.”

“He understood the World, and what was ‘happening,’ better than others,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “Lou was unique in so many ways, and loved our Country. Our warmest condolences to his wonderful wife, Debi, and family. He will be greatly missed!”

After the 2020 election, Dobbs used his Fox Business program to repeatedly promote false conspiracy theories that the vote had been rigged by shadowy companies that flipped millions of votes from Trump to Joe Biden.

These on-air comments helped spur voting technology companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic to sue Fox News for defamation. Fox News settled with Dominion last year for more than $787 million. But Smartmatic’s lawsuit — which also personally named Dobbs as a defendant — is still ongoing.

After the lawsuits were filed, Fox Business canceled Dobbs’ show, taking him off the air in an abrupt move announced on a Friday in February 2021.

Lawyers representing Dobbs previously said in the Smartmatic case that he “denies the allegation of a disinformation campaign” and that he “engages in opinion commentary on issues of public interest, which is his right under the U.S. Constitution.”

Fox News on Thursday praised the veteran anchor and offered condolences to his family.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Lou Dobbs. An incredible business mind with a gift for broadcasting, Lou helped pioneer cable news into a successful and influential industry,” a Fox News Media spokesperson said. “We are immensely grateful for his many contributions and send our heartfelt condolences to his family.”

Marshall Cohen contributed to this story.