Chris Stirewalt, a former political editor at Fox News, said that a U.S. senator wanted him fired after the network made the decision to call Arizona for President Biden on election night in 2020.
“I never said that’s why they fired me. A lot of people said that’s why they fired me. I don’t care, they don’t owe me a job. Fox News doesn’t owe me a job. That’s OK. I had a great time at the network, I’m proud of all the work I did, I’m proud of the work that I did with other people. The news division of Fox was great when I was there,” Stirewalt said during an appearance on CNN this week.
The former top editor at Fox said he did not make the call himself but was rather “part of a decision desk team that made a call.”
“Lordy day, did people get very angry about that,” he continued. “I had one U.S. senator call for my firing and say we were engaged in a cover-up. I thought, ‘Are there ballots under the table that I haven’t looked at? What are you talking about?’”
Stirewalt was apparently referencing comments made by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) just days after the election saying he and other “knuckleheads” at the network should be fired.
The Arizona race call, which was made first by Fox, infuriated former President Trump and his allies on the night of the election.
Biden won the state with the help of Maricopa County, a highly populated area that includes Phoenix. Since the election, Arizona has also been the subject of controversy after various members of the GOP have called for election recounts.
Stirewalt was later laid off by the network in what it said was a post-election restructuring.
“As we conclude the 2020 election cycle, Fox News Digital has realigned its business and reporting structure to meet the demands of this new era,” Fox said at the time. “We are confident these changes will ensure the platform continues to deliver breakthrough reporting and insightful analysis surrounding major issues, both stateside and abroad.”
Earlier this year, Stirewalt was hired by startup cable channel NewsNation, which is owned by The Hill’s parent company, Nexstar Media, to serve as its top political editor.
He also testified before the select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and is currently promoting a new book about his life and career in politics and media.
Updated: 12:03 p.m.
