Political commentator Lou Dobbs, who hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on CNN before the show moved to Fox Business, has died. He was 78 years old.
A message posted to Dobbs’ social media accounts confirmed his death on Thursday.
“It is with sadness that we announce the passing of ‘The Great Lou Dobbs.’ Lou was a fighter to the end, fighting for what was most important to him – God, family and country,” the statement said. “As a patriot and a great American, Lou’s legacy will live on forever. We ask for your prayers for Lou’s wonderful wife Debi, his children and grandchildren.”
Former President Donald Trump first announced the news on Truth Social, writing, “The great Lou Dobbs has passed away. A friend and a truly incredible journalist, reporter and talented person. He understood the world and what was going on better than most.”
“Lou was unique in so many ways and loved our country. My heartfelt condolences to his wonderful wife Debi and family. He will be greatly missed!” Trump wrote, hours before he was scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention and formally accept the GOP’s nomination for president.
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Fox News Media paid tribute to Dobbs in a statement to USA Today. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Lou Dobbs,” the statement read. “A brilliant business mind with a talent for broadcasting, Lou helped build cable news into a successful and influential industry.”
“We are deeply grateful for his many contributions and offer our heartfelt condolences to his family,” the statement concluded.
Before his death, Dobbs had been absent from his iHeartRadio show “The Great America Show with Lou Dobbs” and the livestreamed show “Lou Dobbs Tonight” for more than a week.
Dobbs had a livestreamed conversation with Trump just weeks before his death.
On July 3, Dobbs spoke with President Trump via livestream after the Supreme Court ruled on whether the president is immune from criminal prosecution.
In a 6-3 ruling, the justices ruled that the president’s “official” acts exempt him from liability, but not actions he took as a presidential candidate. Trump has been accused of spreading lies about election fraud and trying to steal the 2020 election.
Dobbs was one of President Trump’s most ardent supporters, championing the “birther” conspiracy theory that questioned former President Barack Obama’s citizenship and repeatedly spreading false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. In 2021, Fox Business Network canceled “Lou Dobbs Tonight” after a 10-year run. The announcement came a day after Fox News and its three hosts, Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, were sued for $2.7 billion.
At the time, voting technology company Smartmatic alleged that the defendants conspired to spread false claims that the company helped “steal” the presidential election. Fox subsequently filed a countersuit in New York State Supreme Court, accusing the company of wrongfully suing.
Dobbs, who has a degree in economics, worked for CNN for more than 20 years. He began his career in 1980 as an anchor for a show called “Moneyline,” which was renamed “Lou Dobbs Tonight” in the early 2000s. Dobbs left the cable network in 2009.
Since the beginning of the year, “Lou Dobbs Tonight” has aired on Mike Lindell’s online streaming broadcast network, FrankSpeech.
Contributors: Maria Puente, Bill Keveney, Maureen Groppe, Bart Jansen
