Conservative US commentator Lou Dobbs dies at age 78

Lou Dobbs, a conservative commentator who promoted baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 US presidential election, has died at age 78, according to a post Thursday on his X account.

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump hailed Dobbs as "a friend, and truly incredible Journalist, Reporter, and Talent" and offered condolences to his family in a post on his Truth Social site.

Dobbs' account on social media site X announced his death, saying: "It's with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of 'the great Lou Dobbs.'"

Fox News -- where Dobbs worked after leaving CNN in 2009 -- also confirmed that he had died, describing him as "an incredible business mind with a gift for broadcasting."

In the wake of the 2020 presidential vote, Dobbs relentlessly spread false accusations of fraud and said they cost Trump the election, despite there being no credible evidence to support such allegations.

Fox News ended up cancelling his show, "Lou Dobbs Tonight," in early 2021, after voting technology company Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit claiming the outlet broadcast lies that "decimated" its business prospects.

That case is still ongoing, but the news behemoth has already agreed to pay $787.5 million to Dominion, another voting technology company, which sued the broadcaster for airing false claims that its machines were used to steal the election from Trump.