‘Fox & Friends’ panel erupts after Geraldo Rivera blames Trump for inciting violence
'It is absolutely inexcusable and it’s a dark stain on American history,' said Rivera on Friday.
Fox News has a long history of supporting outgoing President Donald Trump, but this week Geraldo Rivera caused an uproar at the news network when he very bluntly blamed the dangerous rhetoric of Trump along with Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley for inciting Wednesday’s Capitol Hill siege.
During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Rivera started by first applauding Trump’s concession speech released Thursday evening. He then pointed out those sentiments would have been better if they were shared Tuesday night before Trump “inspired and incited that mob to storm the capital.”
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“There is no doubt the President bears responsibility, and now hearing the Capitol Police officer has succumbed to his injuries sustained…it is absolutely inexcusable, it’s a dark stain on American history. I want the Trump term to end a soon as possible on January 20th,” said Rivera.
“History will judge [Trump] him, and it is something grotesquely disappointing to me what happened, and I tell you I blame senator Josh Hawley and Senator Ted Cruz much as I blame the president,” he continued.
Opining that they knew that there were no judicial, legislative or Constitutional grounds to overturn the election, Rivera called out the politicians because they still “went along with that phony challenge.”
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When Steve Doocy interjected to ask, “Why did they do that, Geraldo?” the talk show veteran responded, “They did it because they are in competition for the Donald Trump constituency.”
“You don’t know that!” Brian Kilmeade pushed back, reminding his guest that he couldn’t definitively know what was in the hearts and minds of those two senators.
At one point, Ainsley Earhardt asked “what about” the shooter of Rep. Steve Scalise, who is reported to have been a Bernie Sanders supporter – seemingly comparing the actions of a lone gunman to that of thousands of Trump supporters who took over the Capital building.
But Rivera seemed unmoved by the appearance of false equivalency, yelling back, “Don’t believe the propaganda!”
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