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Eric Bolling

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Eric Bolling
Bolling in 2020
Born
Eric Thomas Bolling

(1963-03-02) March 2, 1963 (age 61)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
EducationRollins College (BA)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAdrienne Bolling
Children1 (deceased)

Eric Thomas Bolling[1] (/ˈboʊlɪŋ/; born March 2, 1963) is an American television personality, conservative political commentator, author, and financial commentator. He has occupied numerous roles as a commentator on financial issues for television, most notably for Fox News. He hosted Fox Business Channel's Cashin' In and Fox News Channel's The Five before leaving in May 2017. An outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, Bolling has published two books: Wake Up America (2016) and The Swamp: Washington's Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It (2017).

In September 2017, Bolling was ousted from Fox News, after the network conducted an independent investigation following an article published by HuffPost reporting that Bolling had sent unsolicited lewd photographs and text messages to three female colleagues. Bolling denied the allegations. He later hosted the television shows America on TheBlaze and America This Week produced by Sinclair Broadcast Group and carried by their stations as a Sunday morning talk show.

Most recently, Bolling hosted a weeknight hour-long program, Eric Bolling The Balance, on Newsmax TV, from July 5, 2021 until May 31, 2024.[2][3]

Early life and career

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Bolling was born in Chicago and attended grade school at Queen of All Saints Basilica school and high school at Loyola Academy.[4] In 1984 he graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. He also played college baseball at Rollins. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Bolling in the 22nd round of the 1984 Major League Baseball draft. His baseball career was cut short by a torn rotator cuff injury.[5]

Bolling worked as a commodities trader on Wall Street.[5] For five years,[6] he was a board member of the New York Mercantile Exchange,[7] later becoming a strategic advisor to the exchange.[6]

Career as political commentator

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CNBC

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Bolling was one of several analysts who appeared on CNBC's Fast Money[8] as a panelist.[9]

Fox News

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Bolling joined Fox Business Network in March 2008 as a financial analyst.[10] In 2008, Bolling was named a co-host (joining Cody Willard and Rebecca Diamond) of Happy Hour, a market commentary show in the 5 p.m. time slot.[10] After hosting Fox Business Channel's Follow the Money with Eric Bolling, he became the host of the channel's Cashin' In in 2013, replacing Cheryl Casone.[6] The program ran on Saturdays.[11] Bolling also co-hosted Fox News Channel's The Five.[6]

In June 2011 on the Fox Business Network, Bolling criticized President Barack Obama's decision to meet with Gabon's president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, in the White House. Bolling remarked, "Guess who's coming to dinner? A dictator." He then went on to also criticize Obama for allowing rapper Common to appear in the White House a few weeks before, exclaiming "it's not the first time he's had a hoodlum in the hizzouse." Progressive group Media Matters criticized Bolling, saying "Calling the president of Gabon and Common 'hoods in the hizzy' is not colorful commentary, it is overt racism." Bolling first defended himself on Twitter before later apologizing, saying, "We got a little fast and loose with the language, and we know it's been interpreted as being disrespectful, and for that, I'm sorry."[12] Media Matters also criticized Bolling for his on-air promotion of citizenship conspiracy theories about Barack Obama ("birtherism") and conspiracy theories about the murder of Seth Rich, as well as for his claim in 2011 that "liberal Hollywood was using class warfare" in a Muppets movie "to brainwash our kids" and his claim in 2012 that "Every terrorist on American soil has been a Muslim."[13]

In 2017, Bob Beckel said that Bolling and Roger Ailes saved his life after performing the Heimlich maneuver on him at a restaurant.[14]

While at Fox, Bolling was a guest host on several Fox News opinion shows, such as The O'Reilly Factor,[15][16][17][18] and Fox and Friends.[19]

In April 2017, as part of prime-time lineup changes with Bill O'Reilly's exit, Fox announced that The Five would be moving to the 9 p.m. time slot. Fox News Specialists was created to replace The Five in the 5 p.m. time slot, with Bolling serving as a co-host alongside Katherine Timpf and Eboni Williams. The program premiered on May 1, 2017, but was cancelled when Bolling departed the network.[20][21]

Trump support and political commentary

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Bolling describes his commentary as "really right wing, hard-core conservative commentaries" and has said, "I think this is what my brand personally is all about."[22] Bolling has been an outspoken and longtime supporter of Donald Trump,[22] vocally supporting him since the launch of his presidential campaign in 2015.[7][23] Trump and Bolling first met on the set of The Apprentice about ten years before Trump's 2016 presidential campaign; the two were introduced by Mark Burnett, a mutual friend, and went on to develop close ties.[23] In November 2016, after Trump's election but before his inauguration, Bolling was considered by Trump for an appointment in the U.S. Department of Commerce,[7][24] and the following month, Bolling described himself as "fortunate enough to have a close relationship with the incoming administration."[23] Bolling's promotion to hosting his own show on Fox News, effective at the beginning of May 2017, was seen as a victory for the Trump White House.[7] Bolling interviewed Trump more than six times over his presidency.[25]

Sexual harassment allegations and ouster

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On August 4, 2017, HuffPost reported that several years before and on separate occasions, Bolling allegedly sent unsolicited lewd text messages and lewd photos to three female colleagues at Fox News or Fox Business Network.[26] He is also accused of making "wildly inappropriate" comments to female employees.[27] After the article was published a former Fox News guest alleged that Bolling made numerous unwanted sexual advances towards her.[28]

Bolling denied the allegations against him.[28] The day after the HuffPost article was published, Bolling was suspended from Fox News pending an investigation, which the network commissioned the law firm Paul, Weiss to conduct.[29][30][31] A few days after the article was published, Bolling filed a summons[32] and "notice of an intent to file a defamation lawsuit" in New York state court for $50 million against freelance writer Yashar Ali, who wrote the story for HuffPo.[33][34] Bolling's summons did not specify the statements he contended were defamatory,[35] and he did not bring an actual complaint against Ali.[36] Ali and HuffPo stood by the accuracy of the article;[32][37] Ali's lawyer, in a letter to Bolling's lawyer, wrote that any lawsuit would be frivolous because Bolling is a public figure, because "Mr. Ali conducted a thorough investigation and verified his information with 14 independent sources," and because "truth is always a defense to defamation."[35]

On September 8, 2017, Bolling departed Fox News.[29][38][39] In a statement, the network said that "Eric Bolling and Fox have agreed to part ways amicably." As a result of his departure, Fox News Specialists was canceled by the network.[40]

Career after Fox

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Bolling at CPAC 2018

Blaze Media

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Bolling joined the Conservative Review's CRTV in the summer of 2018. CRTV merged with TheBlaze to form Blaze Media in 2018; in December 2018, Bolling signed an agreement to stay with Blaze Media through 2021.[41] Bolling hosted the television show America on TheBlaze.[42]

Sinclair Broadcast Group

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Bolling began hosting America This Week, which is produced by Sinclair Broadcast Group and carried by their stations as a Sunday morning talk show, in 2019.[43][44] At Sinclair, Bolling repeatedly promoted Trump's campaign to discredit voting by mail and baselessly suggested that mail-in voting was prone to fraud.[45]

In 2020, Bolling conducted an interview for America This Week with Judy Mikovits, a discredited researcher featured in the video Plandemic.[46] The video promotes baseless conspiracy theories regarding the coronavirus pandemic, and falsely suggests that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's chief infectious disease scientist, "manufactured" COVID-19.[46] In the segment, Bolling also interviewed Mikovits's lawyer, the right-wing conspiracy theorist Larry Klayman.[46] During the interviews, Bolling made no meaningful attempt to challenge Mikovits or Klayman on their claims.[46] After the plans to air the segment on local Sinclair stations across the U.S. generated an outcry, Sinclair postponed the segment to "rework" it[47] before dropping the segment entirely two days later.[48] Bolling said he did not endorse Mikovits' claims.[48] In January 2021, Sinclair announced the cancellation of the show.[49]

After his Sinclair program was canceled, Bolling launched a podcast co-hosted with former football player Brett Favre.[25]

Consideration of Congressional runs

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In June 2017, Bolling publicly mulled running as a Republican for U.S. Senate after his contract with Fox expired; Bolling opined that some Republicans were insufficiently right wing.[22] In early 2021, Bolling considered a Congressional run in 2022, looking into a possible Republican primary challenge in South Carolina to either Representative Tom Rice (who voted to impeach Trump over his role in the 2021 United States Capitol attack) or Representative Nancy Mace.[25]

Personal life

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Bolling lives in Boca Raton, Florida.[citation needed] He is Catholic.[50] He and his wife Adrienne’s one son, Eric Chase Bolling, died on September 8, 2017, from an accidental drug overdose. Eric was 19 years old. His death occurred on the same day his father departed Fox News.[33][51][52]

Books

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  • Wake Up America: The Nine Virtues That Made Our Nation Great—and Why We Need Them More Than Ever (2016) ISBN 978-1250112507 - Bolling's first book.[53]
  • The Swamp: Washington's Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It (2017) ISBN 978-1250150189

References

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  1. ^ "The Five : FOXNEWS : March 10, 2014 2:00pm-3:01pm PDT: Free Streaming". March 10, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2017 – via Archive.org.
  2. ^ "Eric Bolling Signs On To Host Show On Newsmax". June 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021 – via newsmax.org.
  3. ^ Johnson, Ted (May 31, 2024). "Eric Bolling Departs Newsmax After Three-Year Run". Deadline. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  4. ^ Felsenthal, Carol (December 19, 2016). "Fox Host Eric Bolling on Trump, Baseball, and Why Chicago Needs a New Mayor". Chicago (magazine). Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Carpenter, Mackenzie (July 25, 2010). "Ex-Pirates minor leaguer, Eric Bolling, talks bucks on Fox". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Hal Boedeker, Fox News Channel: Eric Bolling to become 'Cashin' In' host, Orlando Sentinel (January 24, 2013).
  7. ^ a b c d Callum Borchers, Trump superfan Eric Bolling gets a new show on Fox News. That's a win for the White House., Washington Post (April 20, 2017).
  8. ^ "Fast Money" To Join Primetime Lineup Monday, January 8th at 8pm (press release), CNBC (January 3, 2007).
  9. ^ Business Bumps Dave Ramsey in Favor of Former Trader Eric Bolling, TVWeek (June 9, 2010).
  10. ^ a b Eric Bolling Named Co-Host of Happy Hour on FOX Business Network (press release), Fox Business Network (November 10, 2008).
  11. ^ Joe Concha & Brandon Carter, Eric Bolling out at Fox News, The Hill (September 8, 2017).
  12. ^ Shahid, Aliyah (June 14, 2011). "Eric Bolling, Fox Business Host, Apologizes for 'Racist' Obama 'Hoodlum In the Hizzouse' Comments". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  13. ^ Julie Alderman, ABC's This Week to host Eric Bolling, a misogynistic, bigoted birther from Fox News, Media Matters for America (June 21, 2017).
  14. ^ "Bob Beckel Choking: Says Roger Ailes, Eric Bolling Saved His Life". HuffPost. October 14, 2011.
  15. ^ "Former Fox News pundit Eric Bolling fires back at Bill O'Reilly for inappropriate comments". Salon. October 25, 2017.
  16. ^ Balluck, Kyle (April 19, 2017). "Plenty of post-O'Reilly options, scenarios for Fox News". The Hill.
  17. ^ O'Connell, Mikey (February 18, 2016). "TV Ratings: CNN Town Hall and O'Reilly Sub Top Donald Trump on MSNBC". The Hollywood Reporter.
  18. ^ Gold, Hadas (February 18, 2016). "MSNBC's Trump town hall falls to CNN and Fox News in the ratings". Politico.
  19. ^ Fung, Brian (July 2, 2013). "No, There (Probably) Isn't a Facebook Conspiracy to Censor Conservatives". The Atlanticc.
  20. ^ "Fox News Channel programming changes". Fox News. April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  21. ^ Guthrie, Marisa (April 28, 2017). "Eboni K. Williams, Katherine Timpf and Eric Bolling to Host 5 p.m. Show on Fox News". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  22. ^ a b c Hadas Gold, Fox's Bolling talks of a future Senate run, Politico (June 19, 2017).
  23. ^ a b c Maxwell Tani, Fox News host with close ties to Trump discusses his dynamic role at the network, Business Insider (December 28, 2016).
  24. ^ Hadas Gold, Fox News' Eric Bolling talking to Trump team about Commerce gig, Politico (November 19, 2016).
  25. ^ a b c Alex Isenstadt, Former Fox host Eric Bolling considering congressional campaign, Politico (March 12, 2021).
  26. ^ Ali, Yashar (August 4, 2017). "Fox News Host Sent Unsolicited Lewd Text Messages To Colleagues, Sources Say". HuffPost. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  27. ^ Ali, Yashar (August 5, 2017). "New Sexual Harassment Allegations Leveled Against Fox News' Eric Bolling". HuffPost. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  28. ^ a b Tornoe, Rob (August 5, 2017). "Hours after Fox News suspends Eric Bolling, an accuser comes forward". KFCNews.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  29. ^ a b Emily Steel (September 8, 2017). "Fox News Ousts Eric Bolling After Probe Into Lewd Text Messages". The New York Times.
  30. ^ Jacey Fortin (August 5, 2017). "Fox News Suspends Eric Bolling After Report of Lewd Text Messages". The New York Times.
  31. ^ Feldman, Josh (August 5, 2017). "BREAKING: Eric Bolling Suspended from Fox News". www.mediaite.com. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  32. ^ a b "Eric Bolling, Suspended by Fox News, Sues Over Lewd-Photo Article". The New York Times. August 5, 2017.
  33. ^ a b "Son of former Fox News host Eric Bolling dies at 19". The Guardian. September 9, 2017.
  34. ^ "Fox News host Eric Bolling is suing a reporter for $50 million over story about sexual harassment allegations". Business Insider. August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  35. ^ a b Jessica Cullins; Seth Abramovitch (August 11, 2017). "Journalist Targeted by Fox News Anchor Threatens Sanctions If $50M Suit Isn't Dropped". Hollywood Reporter.
  36. ^ Elura Nanon (August 10, 2017). "Eric Bolling's $50 Million Lawsuit is a Total PR Stunt, and He Seems to Know It". Law & Crime.
  37. ^ "Eric Bolling Plans to Sue HuffPost Contributor Yashar Ali Over Harassment Story (UPDATE)". www.mediaite.com. August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  38. ^ Jessica Jones (September 8, 2017). "Eric Bolling is latest Fox host to be ousted". USA Today.
  39. ^ Battaglio, Stephen (September 8, 2017). "Eric Bolling is out at Fox News over sex pictures, while Charles Payne returns to Fox Business". Los Angeles Times.
  40. ^ Ali, Yashar (September 8, 2017). "Eric Bolling Out At Fox News". HuffPost. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  41. ^ "Eric Bolling Signs New Deal to Stay at Blaze Media Through 2021". December 19, 2018.
  42. ^ "America with Eric Bolling". Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  43. ^ "Exclusive: BlazeTV's Eric Bolling Launches New Show on Sinclair". Mediaite. April 3, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  44. ^ "America This Week: K.T. McFarland on inquiry into Russia". WLOS. Sinclair Broadcast Group. July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  45. ^ Zachary Pleat, Sinclair spread Eric Bolling's disparagement of mail-in voting across America, (July 13, 2020).
  46. ^ a b c d Oliver Darcy (July 25, 2020). "Local TV stations across the country set to air discredited 'Plandemic' researcher's conspiracy theory about Fauci". CNN Business.
  47. ^ Oliver Darcy (July 25, 2020). "Sinclair says it will postpone and 'rework' segment featuring conspiracy theory about Fauci". CNN Business.
  48. ^ a b Oliver Darcy (June 27, 2020). "Sinclair drops segment featuring conspiracy theory about Fauci". CNN Business.
  49. ^ Celine Castronuovo, Sinclair cancels Eric Bolling's show, host to launch podcast with Brett Favre, The Hill (January 28, 2021).
  50. ^ Fox News: "What are 'The Five' giving up for Lent?" February 13, 2013
  51. ^ Siegel, Rachel (September 9, 2017). "19-year-old son of ousted Fox News host Eric Bolling is found dead". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  52. ^ Siegel, Rachel (October 27, 2017). "Former Fox News host says son died from an overdose. Doctors found a mix of drugs in his system". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  53. ^ Bolling, Eric (June 28, 2016). "Eric Bolling: It's grit that makes America great. It's time to stop whining and get to work". Fox News. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
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