(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

In a stunning announcement at the end of his show today on Fox News, Shepard Smith revealed that he had asked to be released from his contract and it was granted. His last day was today at the network that he started when it first aired 23 years ago.

In a statement released by the network, Smith said…

Smith, in a statement, said he had asked Fox to be released from his contract. “Recently I asked the company to allow me to leave Fox News and begin a new chapter,” Smith said. “After requesting that I stay, they graciously obliged. The opportunities afforded this guy from small town Mississippi have been many. It’s been an honor and a privilege to report the news each day to our loyal audience in context and with perspective, without fear or favor. I’ve worked with the most talented, dedicated and focused professionals I know and I’m proud to have anchored their work each day — I will deeply miss them.”

Smith was recently in a bit of a verbal scrum with fellow Fox News host Tucker Carlson two weeks ago that was covered in the Hollywood Reporter and could very well be part of why Smith is abruptly leaving.

From the article a couple of weeks back…

The conflict crescendoed Tuesday night, when Carlson laughed at Smith for condemning one of his guests, lawyer attorney Joe diGenova, for calling Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano a “fool” one night earlier. “Apparently our daytime host who hosted Judge Napolitano was watching last night and was outraged by what you said and, quite ironically, called you partisan,” Carlson told diGenova, chuckling. “Unlike maybe some dayside hosts, I’m not very partisan.”

“Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott and president Jay Wallace communicated to Smith this morning to stop attacking Carlson,” Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman reported Thursday afternoon, though he noted that “Fox News spokesperson Irena Briganti denied that management had any direct conversation with Smith.

Smith was not shy about criticizing President Trump and was a target of Trump supporters for it.

Once details leak out of the exact reasons why we will cover it here at Red State.

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