CNN media analyst Brian Stelter and Fox News’ Howard Kurtz both addressed the conspiracies that surfaced after Shepard Smith abruptly announced he was leaving the network he had worked for since its inception.

Following the announcement, many speculated that Attorney General William Barr’s recent meeting with Fox mogul Rupert Murdoch could have been the reason behind Smith’s departure. However, both the network and Smith denied that his leaving stemmed from anything but his own choice.