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

Oliver Darcy, CNN

(CNN) — Lou Dobbs, nan longtime business news anchor who became 1 of Donald Trump’s astir vocal supporters successful media, died connected Thursday. He was 78.

“It’s pinch a dense bosom that we denote nan passing of ‘the awesome Lou Dobbs,’” a connection posted connected his charismatic societal media relationship said, calling him a “fighter till nan very end.”

Dobbs had a lengthy profession successful broadcast journalism, spending much than 2 decades astatine CNN, which he joined astatine its inception successful 1980 and anchoring nan programme “Moneyline.” Dobbs near CNN successful 2009 to thief media mogul Rupert Murdoch motorboat nan Fox Business Network.

“Lou was 1 of nan CNN originals, who helped motorboat and style nan network. We are saddened to perceive astir his passing and widen our sincerest condolences to his woman Debi, children and his family,” a CNN spokesperson said.

As Donald Trump ascended successful Republican Party politics, Dobbs became 1 of his astir ardent supporters, utilizing his programme to beforehand anti-immigrant rhetoric and lash retired astatine nan alleged “deep state.”

As 1 of Trump’s biggest boosters connected television, nan seasoned anchor spent nan second portion of his profession promoting streams of misinformation and conspiracy theories connected behalf of nan then-president.

Trump regularly praised Dobbs successful return, often posting clips of his show connected his societal media channels. Trump connected Thursday praised Dobbs arsenic a friend and “truly unthinkable journalist, reporter, and talent.”

“He understood nan World, and what was ‘happening,’ amended than others,” Trump wrote connected his societal media platform. “Lou was unsocial successful truthful galore ways, and loved our Country. Our warmest condolences to his awesome wife, Debi, and family. He will beryllium greatly missed!”

After nan 2020 election, Dobbs utilized his Fox Business programme to many times beforehand mendacious conspiracy theories that nan ballot had been rigged by shadowy companies that flipped millions of votes from Trump to Joe Biden.

These on-air comments helped spur voting exertion companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic to writer Fox News for defamation. Fox News settled pinch Dominion past twelvemonth for much than $787 million. But Smartmatic’s suit — which besides personally named Dobbs arsenic a suspect — is still ongoing.

After nan lawsuits were filed, Fox Business canceled Dobbs’ show, taking him disconnected nan aerial successful an abrupt move announced connected a Friday successful February 2021.

Lawyers representing Dobbs antecedently said successful nan Smartmatic lawsuit that he “denies nan allegation of a disinformation campaign” and that he “engages successful sentiment commentary connected issues of nationalist interest, which is his correct nether nan U.S. Constitution.”

Fox News connected Thursday praised nan seasoned anchor and offered condolences to his family.

“We are profoundly saddened by nan passing of Lou Dobbs. An unthinkable business mind pinch a gift for broadcasting, Lou helped pioneer cablegram news into a successful and influential industry,” a Fox News Media spokesperson said. “We are immensely grateful for his galore contributions and nonstop our heartfelt condolences to his family.”