Lou Dobbs was a television host and political commentator best known for his 30-year association with CNN and his decade with Fox Business Network, a tenure which came to an end when Dobbs was fired after promoting election conspiracies.
- Died: July 18, 2024 (Who else died on July 18?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 78.
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Lou Dobbs’ legacy
Texas-born Lou Dobbs earned his degree from Harvard University and began his foray into television in the 1970s, when he became a TV anchor and reporter in Arizona. His work caught the attention of Ted Turner, who drafted Dobbs to join his new 24-hour news network, CNN. Dobbs was chief economics correspondent, hosted the show “Moneyline,” and became an executive vice president. He left the network in 1999 due to political disputes with then-CNN President Rick Kaplan.
He returned to the network in 2001, shortly after Kaplan’s departure. His return marked a shift in Dobbs’ coverage. Formerly focused almost entirely on business news, he began injecting political commentary into his coverage. In 2009, Dobbs became an early proponent of “birtherism,” the baseless theory that Barack Obama had not been born in the United States and was therefore not eligible to be president. Not long afterward, he again left CNN.
Dobbs spent several years hosting “Lou Dobbs Radio” on United Stations Radio Networks before moving to Fox Business Network in 2010. At Fox, Dobbs made a name for himself as a staunch conservative. He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” and became a major proponent of candidate, then President Donald Trump. He was let go from that network for, without evidence, pushing claims of fraud in the 2020 election. Dobbs’ assertions resulted in him being named in massive lawsuits by voting machine manufacturers Dominion and Smartmatic.
Dobbs was a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award winner and a Cable Ace Award winner. He received a George Foster Peabody Award, the Horatio Alger Association Award for Distinguished Americans, and other honors. He authored or coauthored at least seven books, including “Exporting America: Why Corporate Greed Is Shipping American Jobs Overseas,” and “Upheaval.”
Tributes to Lou Dobbs
Full obituary: The New York Times
