MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes suggested via Twitter that former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith’s departure from the network could have something to do with Attorney General William Barr’s meeting with News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch.
A Fox News regular since its 1996 inception, Smith said goodbye to his “Shepard Smith Reporting” audience on Friday.
“So Barr goes and meets w Murdoch and then…” Hayes wrote in a since deleted tweet.
So Barr goes and meets w Murdoch and then… https://t.co/jtt4KXTcwe
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) October 11, 2019
“I mean who knows,” Hayes continued in another tweet. “I have no inside info. Mostly I thought the AG having a meeting at Rupert’s house, amidst very public internal battles over coverage of Trump, looked…odd.”
I mean who knows. I have no inside info. Mostly I thought the AG having a meeting at Rupert’s house, amidst very public internal battles over coverage of Trump, looked…odd.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) October 11, 2019
Hayes’ explanation for the tweet’s deletion revolved around CNN’s Brian Stelter putting “Shep timing much earlier” than the Barr, Murdoch meeting.
deleting that tweet, since Stelter reporting puts Shep timing much earlier
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) October 11, 2019
Barr’s behind-closed-doors Wednesday meeting with Murdoch drew plenty of media speculation, particularly as the network has increasingly come under fire from President Donald Trump. However, in the case of the former Fox News anchor, Smith spokesman Chris Giglio reportedly told the New York Times’ Michael M. Grynbaum that the exit had nothing to do with the meeting. (RELATED: NBC Reporter Claims That Shepard Smith Was Escorted Out By Security, Fox News Reportedly Denies)
NEW: The Barr-Murdoch meeting was *not* related to Shep Smith’s exit, Chris Giglio, a spokesman for Shep, tells me via email. “This was Shep’s decision and his alone.”
— Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) October 11, 2019
The MSNBC anchor was still criticized for is theory on Twitter.
Right on cue, @EWErickson https://t.co/Ff2s6Gffkm
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 11, 2019
MSNBC conspiracy theorist Chris Hayes suggests *without evidence* that Shepard Smith is out at Fox News because Attorney General William Barr met with Fox News’ owner this week: https://t.co/ECpTn18Su1
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 11, 2019
MSNBC continuing to lower the bar for journalism. ????♂️ https://t.co/17ID3LqQQj
— Mike Bastasch (@MikeBastasch) October 11, 2019
This piece has been updated.