Lou Dobbs, Former TV News Anchor and Political Commentator, Dead at 78

Longtime cable news anchor and political commentator Lou Dobbs has died. He was 78.

The former Lou Dobbs Tonight host’s death was announced in a statement shared on his social media accounts on Thursday, July 18. His cause of death was not immediately shared with the public.

“Lou was a fighter till the very end - fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country,” the statement posted on X , formerly Twitter, said. “Lou’s legacy will forever live on as a patriot and a great American.”

The statement concluded with a request for prayers for Dobbs’ wife, Debi , as well as for their children and grandchildren.

Dobbs reported on politics and business during his decades-long career in journalism. He joined CNN when the network first launched in 1980 and went on to anchor Moneyline during his time there. He later joined FOX Business, where he hosted Lou Dobbs Tonight from 2011 to 2021.

Both former employers remembered Dobbs as news of his passing spread on Thursday.

“Lou was one of the CNN originals, who helped launch and shape the network,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement shared on the network’s website. “We are saddened to hear about his passing and extend our sincerest condolences to his wife Debi, children and his family.”

A spokesperson for FOX News Media remembered Dobbs as an “incredible business mind with a gift for broadcasting” and said he “helped pioneer cable news into a successful and influential industry.”

“We are immensely grateful for his many contributions and send our heartfelt condolences to his family,” the FOX News Media spokesperson's statement added.

Donald Trump , who Dobbs vocally supported, was among the first to spread the news of the broadcast journalist’s death with a tribute on Truth Social. The former president remembered Dobbs as a “friend, and truly incredible Journalist, Reporter, and Talent” who “understood the World, and what was ‘happening,’ better than others.”

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