Trump spent part of Labor Day weekend at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, where he golfed with Fox News anchor Bret Baier and other players. The outing came two days after Fox News Media announced that Maria Bartiromo was no longer with the company, effective immediately.
Reports have alleged that Bartiromo shared internal Fox guidance with the White House, and Trump adviser Peter Navarro has confirmed that he received a screenshot of that guidance from her.
Fox has not publicly said that the disclosure caused Bartiromo’s departure, which the network described as a business decision. Photos from the weekend also showed Trump with noticeably darker-looking hair, fueling online discussion.
Trump golfs with Fox anchor Baier
Trump spent part of Labor Day weekend at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. He played golf with Bret Baier, the host and executive editor of Special Report with Bret Baier and Fox News’ chief political anchor. National Intelligence Director Jay Clayton and other players also joined the group.
Photos from the outing circulated online, showing Trump with Baier and other players. Trump’s public schedule confirms that he spent the weekend at Bedminster, where he had scheduled executive time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Baier has played golf with Trump multiple times over the years. In a 2016 interview, Baier described Trump as a good player and said his putting was one of his strengths. In 2025, Baier said he had not personally seen Trump cheat during their rounds, while noting that caddies could be active.
Fox News parts ways with Bartiromo suddenly
Fox News Media announced on Sept. 3 that Maria Bartiromo was no longer with the company, effective immediately. Fox thanked her for more than 12 years of work but did not give a specific reason for the departure. Bartiromo had hosted Mornings with Maria, Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street and Sunday Morning Futures.
Her last broadcast was Aug. 9, several weeks before Fox announced the departure. Fox kept its public statement brief, describing the move as a business decision.
Bartiromo has not publicly explained the circumstances of her departure. Her attorney, Bryan Freedman, has disputed reports that she was fired or is no longer a Fox employee, saying those reports are “absolutely and unequivocally false.”
Leaked texts sparked the network’s abrupt decision
Reports said Maria Bartiromo shared internal Fox guidance with the White House concerning coverage of President Trump’s claims about the 2020 election and China. Trump adviser Peter Navarro confirmed that Bartiromo sent him a screenshot of the guidance after he had been scheduled to appear on Mornings with Maria.
According to reporting by Puck, the guidance was sent to Bartiromo’s producers before Trump’s July 16 primetime speech and instructed the program to forgo coverage of his claims involving China and the 2020 election. Navarro said he received the screenshot and passed the information up the White House chain.
The disclosure has been linked by multiple reports to Bartiromo’s departure, but Fox has not publicly confirmed that it was the reason. Fox has described her departure as a business decision, while Bartiromo’s attorney has disputed reports that she was fired or is no longer employed by the company.
Baier holds an influential role at Fox
Bret Baier has been with Fox News since 1998 and currently serves as the anchor and executive editor of Special Report with Bret Baier and the network’s chief political anchor. He has interviewed Trump numerous times and has also played golf with him.
Baier has publicly discussed his interactions with Trump away from television, including their golf outings. In a 2016 interview, Baier described Trump as a good golfer and praised his putting. In 2025, when asked whether Trump cheats at golf, Baier said he had not seen Trump do so himself, while adding that caddies could be very active.
Baier’s golf outings with Trump have drawn attention because he is a prominent journalist who regularly covers the president. His comments provide his personal account of those interactions rather than an independent assessment of Trump’s golf practices.
Other golfers join weekend outing lineup
Intelligence Director Jay Clayton spent his Labor Day weekend at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Clayton, who previously chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission, was sworn in as director of national intelligence on Aug. 3, 2026.
Trump’s frequent trips to his golf properties have also drawn scrutiny over their potential cost to taxpayers. An independent tracker currently estimates that his second-term golf-related travel and security expenses have reached about $120 million.
The tracker bases its calculations on Trump’s public schedule, pool reports, and flight tracking, using cost benchmarks derived from a 2019 Government Accountability Office report. The figure is an estimate rather than an official government accounting of presidential golf expenses.
New hairstyle sparks online speculation frenzy
Photos from the golf outing showed Trump with a much darker hairstyle than usual. His hair appeared browner and more tousled compared to his signature golden look. The change was noticeable enough to catch the attention of social media users.
Trump wore a red hat during parts of the outing that seemed to cover much of his hair. The cap featured a message expressing support for the president. Even with the hat on, many observers still noticed the difference in his hair color.
The darker hairstyle was also visible when Trump arrived in New Jersey on Friday. Some social media users joked that the president looked like a different person. Others simply speculated about a possible new hair treatment or dye.
Lara Trump’s flight adds awkward timing
On Sept. 3, Bret Baier was seen on a flight from Palm Beach, Florida, to Washington, D.C., with Lara Trump. Lara Trump hosts Fox News Channel’s weekend program My View with Lara Trump and shared a photo of herself with Baier on social media.
The flight took place the same day Fox News Media announced that Maria Bartiromo was no longer with the company. Reports about the alleged disclosure of internal Fox guidance to the White House also emerged around the same time.
Lara Trump’s Fox News program premiered in February 2025. She has interviewed her father-in-law, President Donald Trump, on the program. The flight drew attention because it coincided with news of Bartiromo’s departure.
Golf has long connected Trump with the press
Trump has played golf with reporters, athletes, and political figures throughout his public life. Bret Baier is among the journalists who have played with him, and Baier has publicly discussed their conversations and time together away from television.
Baier is not the only media figure to have spent time with Trump on the golf course. Other journalists and public figures have also played with him over the years, making golf one setting where Trump has interacted informally with people outside traditional political events.
For Trump, golf has also been a recurring part of his public schedule. His presidential schedule regularly records time at his golf clubs, including Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. His recent round with Baier fits that broader pattern of combining presidential travel with time on the course.
TL;DR
- Trump golfed with Fox anchor Bret Baier at his Bedminster club.
- Fox News parted ways with longtime host Maria Bartiromo days earlier.
- Bartiromo reportedly shared internal Fox texts with the White House.
- Trump’s hairstyle looked noticeably different during the outing, sparking online chatter.
- Baier was also seen flying with Lara Trump the same day.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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