Trump applauds ‘special guy’ Steve Doocy as emotional Fox & Friends veteran quits the curvy couch

President Donald Trump recorded a special message for one of the original hosts of his favorite morning talk show on Thursday, letting Steve Doocy know that he’s a “special guy” and wanted to congratulate the Fox & Friends stalwart on his “new and probably enhanced role.”

“Hi Steve, it’s your all-time favorite president,” Trump said in the recorded tribute. “I just think you’re a fantastic guy. You’ve always treated me fairly – sometimes a little more fairly than other times, but that’s okay.”

Doocy, who has been with the right-wing network’s flagship morning program since its inception, announced at the end of Thursday’s broadcast that it would be his last from the famed “curvy couch.” Going forward, the 69-year-old broadcaster noted, he will work a reduced schedule and appear remotely.

Comparing his work schedule to that of the famed Dunkin' Donuts commercial actor, he said he has woken up at 3:30 a.m. every day for the past 30 years, prompting his wife to joke that “it’s time to make the donuts.” Those days are over now, he added.

“After decades of getting up at 3:30 and driving to New York City, today is the last day I will host this show from the couch,” Doocy declared. “I’m not retiring or leaving the show, I’m still a host, but it is time for a change.”Noting that he had been in conversations with Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott for a while to figure out a way to stay with the show while reducing his workload, he revealed that he would now reduce his schedule to three days a week. Additionally, he is moving to Florida and will no longer appear in the New York studio.

“Remember how Johnny Carson worked three days in Burbank? I will be based in Florida, which means you may never see me in a necktie again,” he stated. “ Florida is strategic, it will make it easier for me to report from Florida and other parts of America that don’t get network airtime.”Adding that he will also report from other areas across the country, calling himself the “coast-to-coast host,” Doocy said that this new schedule will afford him more time to be with his family.

“When my kids were growing up, I never had breakfast with them, I was always here. Kathy [Doocy] did everything,” he remarked. “Starting tomorrow, I will have breakfast with my grandkids and children whenever I can. I’m transitioning from ‘it is time to make the donuts’ to it is time to make breakfast, grandpa.”

At the same time, Doocy said the “one downside” of his new role is that he will miss seeing his friends in Fox News’ Manhattan headquarters, eventually growing emotional over the prospect of bidding farewell to the studio he’s called home for nearly 30 years.

After shouting out the production crew, he went on to address each of his co-hosts, as well as the show’s meteorologist Janice Dean and headlines reporter Carley Shimkus.

“After a little vacation, I will be back on the show via the magic of television, where somewhere somebody will ask me – is Ainsley really that sweet? I will say, she is,” he stated. “Is Lawrence really that much fun? He is indeed. Is Janice Dean so sunny? She is. And does Carley really know what crazy transition you guys throw at her? She doesn’t, but she always has a snappy comeback. More importantly, I hear this all the time: does Brian Kilmeade really think we need somebody to tell us to get dressed?”

Doocy, who has at times positioned himself as a somewhat moderating voice of reason, was then presented with a video message from the president, who seemed to hint at Doocy’s occasional criticisms of him over the years. Of course, at the same time, the two have been longtime friends, as Trump once had a recurring guest segment on the morning show before he first ran for president in 2015.

In an interview with Mediaite discussing his transition to a new role, Doocy noted that he continues to have a “nice relationship” with the president despite the swipes Trump has made over the years about the Fox & Friends host expressing mild skepticism from time to time.

“I will say this about Trump — he called me this morning during the show,” Doocy told Mediaite. “I had called the president recently to get a quote about his first 100 days, looking for information about the tariffs. He called me back about 20 seconds before I was to go on air and introduce Todd Piro. I yelled to Brian ‘Can you introduce Todd Piro’ so I could take the call, and the president and I had a nice conversation about how I’d be more in Florida.”

In his taped message to the Fox News star, Trump said that Doocy has “been really stellar at what you do and at your craft” and that it was an “honor to have spent so much time with you and watching you and the whole group in the morning.”

After boasting about the show’s ratings, calling it the “number one show in the business,” Trump went on to compliment both Doocy and his son, Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy.

“You are a very, very good man, and your son is gonna represent you well,” Trump concluded. “Peter’s of equal talent, at least in fact, you would say he’s even better than you. So, just take care of yourself and say hello to your family, especially your wife. I know she’s gonna be feeling better really soon, and you’re a special guy.”

It has been speculated for some time now that Doocy would eventually assume a reduced role or retire altogether. In late 2023, the couch took on a fourth permanent host when Lawrence Jones – who is only 32 – was added to the show’s roster, prompting whispers that Jones was seen as an eventual successor to Doocy.