Greg Gutfeld didn’t miss the chance to take a swipe at Howard Kurtz after the veteran media critic was abruptly pulled off the air by Fox News. With sharp, witty remarks, Gutfeld ignited a firestorm that rippled across both the network and conservative media circles. The jab came in the wake of Kurtz’s controversial comments about slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered on a Utah college campus last week. Kurtz, during a panel discussion, acknowledged Kirk’s death as a tragic loss but also said that Kirk was “not a saint,” pointing to remarks he had made about the Second Amendment and gun violence. For Gutfeld, who has built a reputation on mocking not just political opponents but also his own colleagues, this was an opportunity to remind everyone of Kurtz’s precarious standing at Fox.
The timing of Gutfeld’s taunt could not have been more ruthless. Fox News had announced just days earlier that MediaBuzz, Kurtz’s long-running media analysis show, was being canceled after twelve years. When a conservative account on social media mocked Kurtz for his remarks about Kirk and noted the end of his program, Gutfeld quote-tweeted with a cutting line: “Maybe we can tune in next week for a clarification… oh wait…” The quip was short, sarcastic, and instantly viral, epitomizing Gutfeld’s brand of humor while simultaneously twisting the knife into a colleague already facing backlash.
Kurtz’s position had been under pressure for some time. Though Fox executives allowed him to continue as a political media analyst and podcast host, his nuanced commentary often made him a target. He was viewed as either too soft on Trump by MAGA loyalists or too harsh by mainstream conservatives, depending on the day. His acknowledgment that Kirk had made troubling past statements about the cost of gun violence clashed with the narrative many wanted to preserve in the wake of the activist’s assassination. While his observation was factually accurate, it broke from the chorus of praise and martyrdom being directed at Kirk, leaving Kurtz isolated from his own audience base.
Behind the scenes, the exchange revealed deeper fractures within Fox News. Gutfeld’s mocking tone was more than just a cheap laugh; it was an indicator of the internal hierarchy and the power struggles shaping the network. As one of Fox’s highest-rated hosts and co-host of The Five, Gutfeld has cemented himself as an untouchable figure. Over the years, his clashes with colleagues have become legendary. From his on-air run-ins with Juan Williams to the eventual ouster of Geraldo Rivera, Gutfeld has demonstrated his ability to influence not just the tone of programming but also the fate of fellow panelists. Mocking Kurtz, then, was less about disagreement and more about dominance, a way to underscore who really calls the shots in Fox’s opinion-driven lineup.
Donald Trump’s own disdain for Kurtz only added fuel to the fire. Earlier this year, the former president lashed out on Truth Social, accusing Kurtz of failing to defend him aggressively enough during the Signalgate scandal and the fallout from the firing of national security adviser Mike Waltz. “It is time for Howie Kurtz to retire!” Trump wrote, signaling to his followers that the Fox host was not to be trusted. When Gutfeld piled on with his taunts, he was not only ridiculing a colleague but also aligning himself with the prevailing mood of Trump’s loyal base. The convergence of audience demand, Trump’s criticism, and internal Fox power plays created the perfect storm that left Kurtz marginalized.
The cancellation of MediaBuzz was symbolic beyond the fate of one host. As the last dedicated media analysis show on cable news, it represented a vestige of a time when critical examination of journalism itself was seen as valuable to audiences. Its replacement, The Sunday Briefing, hosted by White House correspondents Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich, signals a shift toward more straightforward political coverage and less introspection. For Kurtz, who had previously hosted CNN’s Reliable Sources before its demise, the end of MediaBuzz marked the second time he had lost a platform designed to scrutinize the media’s role in shaping narratives. In both cases, the appetite for such programming appears to have withered in a polarized environment where picking a side is often more profitable than offering analysis.
Still, Kurtz tried to frame his final broadcast with dignity. He noted that he had often been criticized simultaneously for being too pro-Trump and too anti-MAGA, which he argued was evidence of balance. He lamented that “so much television today is about picking a team and denigrating anyone with opposing opinions,” suggesting that his show had provided an antidote to the partisan echo chambers. Yet, as Gutfeld’s gibe demonstrated, balance is not what Fox News is currently selling. What resonates now are the strong personalities who lean into ideological battles and mockery, even at the expense of colleagues.
Gutfeld’s one-liner about Kurtz may have been cloaked in humor, but it exposed the truth Fox News would rather not admit: dissenting voices, even moderate ones, are increasingly unwelcome. By turning Kurtz into the butt of a joke, Gutfeld made it clear that anyone who fails to toe the line risks both professional irrelevance and public humiliation. In the cutthroat world of cable news, where ratings and loyalty dictate survival, the exchange served as a stark reminder of how power operates behind the scenes. Gutfeld’s swipe was not just about Kurtz—it was about reinforcing Fox’s current direction, one in which snark and allegiance matter more than nuance or critique.
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