Geraldo Rivera, Donald Trump.Photo:Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; James Devaney/GC ImagesGeraldo Riveraused to be close friends withDonald Trump, but the longtimeFox Newspersonality now says he’s vowed to “dedicate whatever energy I have left in the profession to ensure that he is not reelected president ever.“Rivera, who recentlyleft Fox News after 23 years, made the remarks in a Thursday appearance onThe View.“Everyone knows I was close to Donald Trump for decades. You can boo or cheer. We came up together in New York from the 1970s,” Rivera, 80, said of his former friendship with the real estate magnate-turned-politician.“Rivera continued: “He was a New York character. I went to and I didCelebrity Apprentice, you know. And then, you know, fate would have it just weeks after I did theCelebrity Apprentice, he announced his candidacy for the presidency. So, I mean, how many people have, you know, their friend … in the White House as president of the United States? He gave me tremendous access. He was always very nice to me even though he knew I didn’t vote for him. So, you know, I have a different [outlook].“WhenViewco-hostJoy Beharasked, “What happened to him?” Rivera responded: “What happened was he lost the election and became a crazy guy.“Geraldo Rivera speaks with Joy Behar on “The View”.ABCElsewhere in the interview, Rivera said that Trump’s actions in the days leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021,Capitol riot"was so unforgivable. He stabbed the Constitution in the back.““And I really, even though I still have affection for him and I remember the good times — because of that, he is disqualified, I believe, from ever being president of the United States,” he added.Later in the episode, Rivera said Trump “incited a riot” on Jan. 6, adding: “He encouraged those people to go there and ruin their lives attacking the Capitol of the United States.“Trump infamously gave a speech hours before the riot, in which he urged his supporters to “march” on the Capitol and “fight like hell” to challenge the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.Once they breached the building in what became a deadly scene, Trump faced waves of condemnation from lawmakers on either side of the political aisle, finallyaddressing the rioters in a pretaped speechthat urged them to “go home,” but he continued to push unfounded claims of election fraud.Donald Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try and stop Congress from certifying the election results.Samuel Corum/Getty"I know your pain. I know you’re hurt,” Trump said in a video he shared to Twitter while rioters were still in the Capitol building. “But … we have to have peace, so go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel.“The mob attack ultimately resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer.In the years since, the former president has said that, if he were elected again, he would consider giving some of the riotersfull pardons.Last year, Rivera wrote on Twitter that he would never support Trump again, largely due to the former president’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.“Election Deniers depress me. I blame President Trump for his shameful campaign to slander and undermine American faith in our elections. For all his positive accomplishments, and there are many, I could never support him again,” Riverawrote on Twitter. “Without fealty to the Constitution, we’re [second] rate.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Rivera recently left his longtime post at Fox News, saying in an appearance onFox and Friendslast week that he was leaving the network because he had been fired fromThe Five.“I was fired fromThe Fiveand I said, ‘Well I might as well resign totally’ and I quit,” he said on the show. “Today’s my last day. I want to leave thinking about how wonderful everyone has been to me throughout the last 23 years.”
Geraldo Rivera, Donald Trump.Photo:Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; James Devaney/GC Images
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; James Devaney/GC Images
Geraldo Riveraused to be close friends withDonald Trump, but the longtimeFox Newspersonality now says he’s vowed to “dedicate whatever energy I have left in the profession to ensure that he is not reelected president ever.“Rivera, who recentlyleft Fox News after 23 years, made the remarks in a Thursday appearance onThe View.“Everyone knows I was close to Donald Trump for decades. You can boo or cheer. We came up together in New York from the 1970s,” Rivera, 80, said of his former friendship with the real estate magnate-turned-politician.“Rivera continued: “He was a New York character. I went to and I didCelebrity Apprentice, you know. And then, you know, fate would have it just weeks after I did theCelebrity Apprentice, he announced his candidacy for the presidency. So, I mean, how many people have, you know, their friend … in the White House as president of the United States? He gave me tremendous access. He was always very nice to me even though he knew I didn’t vote for him. So, you know, I have a different [outlook].“WhenViewco-hostJoy Beharasked, “What happened to him?” Rivera responded: “What happened was he lost the election and became a crazy guy.“Geraldo Rivera speaks with Joy Behar on “The View”.ABCElsewhere in the interview, Rivera said that Trump’s actions in the days leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021,Capitol riot"was so unforgivable. He stabbed the Constitution in the back.““And I really, even though I still have affection for him and I remember the good times — because of that, he is disqualified, I believe, from ever being president of the United States,” he added.Later in the episode, Rivera said Trump “incited a riot” on Jan. 6, adding: “He encouraged those people to go there and ruin their lives attacking the Capitol of the United States.“Trump infamously gave a speech hours before the riot, in which he urged his supporters to “march” on the Capitol and “fight like hell” to challenge the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.Once they breached the building in what became a deadly scene, Trump faced waves of condemnation from lawmakers on either side of the political aisle, finallyaddressing the rioters in a pretaped speechthat urged them to “go home,” but he continued to push unfounded claims of election fraud.Donald Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try and stop Congress from certifying the election results.Samuel Corum/Getty"I know your pain. I know you’re hurt,” Trump said in a video he shared to Twitter while rioters were still in the Capitol building. “But … we have to have peace, so go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel.“The mob attack ultimately resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer.In the years since, the former president has said that, if he were elected again, he would consider giving some of the riotersfull pardons.Last year, Rivera wrote on Twitter that he would never support Trump again, largely due to the former president’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.“Election Deniers depress me. I blame President Trump for his shameful campaign to slander and undermine American faith in our elections. For all his positive accomplishments, and there are many, I could never support him again,” Riverawrote on Twitter. “Without fealty to the Constitution, we’re [second] rate.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Rivera recently left his longtime post at Fox News, saying in an appearance onFox and Friendslast week that he was leaving the network because he had been fired fromThe Five.“I was fired fromThe Fiveand I said, ‘Well I might as well resign totally’ and I quit,” he said on the show. “Today’s my last day. I want to leave thinking about how wonderful everyone has been to me throughout the last 23 years.”
Geraldo Riveraused to be close friends withDonald Trump, but the longtimeFox Newspersonality now says he’s vowed to “dedicate whatever energy I have left in the profession to ensure that he is not reelected president ever.”
Rivera, who recentlyleft Fox News after 23 years, made the remarks in a Thursday appearance onThe View.
“Everyone knows I was close to Donald Trump for decades. You can boo or cheer. We came up together in New York from the 1970s,” Rivera, 80, said of his former friendship with the real estate magnate-turned-politician.”
Rivera continued: “He was a New York character. I went to and I didCelebrity Apprentice, you know. And then, you know, fate would have it just weeks after I did theCelebrity Apprentice, he announced his candidacy for the presidency. So, I mean, how many people have, you know, their friend … in the White House as president of the United States? He gave me tremendous access. He was always very nice to me even though he knew I didn’t vote for him. So, you know, I have a different [outlook].”
WhenViewco-hostJoy Beharasked, “What happened to him?” Rivera responded: “What happened was he lost the election and became a crazy guy.”
Geraldo Rivera speaks with Joy Behar on “The View”.ABC
ABC
Elsewhere in the interview, Rivera said that Trump’s actions in the days leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021,Capitol riot"was so unforgivable. He stabbed the Constitution in the back.”
“And I really, even though I still have affection for him and I remember the good times — because of that, he is disqualified, I believe, from ever being president of the United States,” he added.
Later in the episode, Rivera said Trump “incited a riot” on Jan. 6, adding: “He encouraged those people to go there and ruin their lives attacking the Capitol of the United States.”
Trump infamously gave a speech hours before the riot, in which he urged his supporters to “march” on the Capitol and “fight like hell” to challenge the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.
Once they breached the building in what became a deadly scene, Trump faced waves of condemnation from lawmakers on either side of the political aisle, finallyaddressing the rioters in a pretaped speechthat urged them to “go home,” but he continued to push unfounded claims of election fraud.
Donald Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try and stop Congress from certifying the election results.Samuel Corum/Getty
“I know your pain. I know you’re hurt,” Trump said in a video he shared to Twitter while rioters were still in the Capitol building. “But … we have to have peace, so go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel.”
The mob attack ultimately resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer.
In the years since, the former president has said that, if he were elected again, he would consider giving some of the riotersfull pardons.
Last year, Rivera wrote on Twitter that he would never support Trump again, largely due to the former president’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
“Election Deniers depress me. I blame President Trump for his shameful campaign to slander and undermine American faith in our elections. For all his positive accomplishments, and there are many, I could never support him again,” Riverawrote on Twitter. “Without fealty to the Constitution, we’re [second] rate.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Rivera recently left his longtime post at Fox News, saying in an appearance onFox and Friendslast week that he was leaving the network because he had been fired fromThe Five.
“I was fired fromThe Fiveand I said, ‘Well I might as well resign totally’ and I quit,” he said on the show. “Today’s my last day. I want to leave thinking about how wonderful everyone has been to me throughout the last 23 years.”
source: people.com
