Longtime host and political commentator Geraldo Rivera has announced his departure from Fox News after being fired from his role on the network’s daily roundtable show, The Five.
Rivera, who had been with Fox News for over two decades, made the announcement on Twitter.
Just last week, it was reported that Rivera had been dismissed from The Five owing to on-air conflicts with co-hosts Greg Gutfeld and Jesse Watters. Rivera had been one of the rare moderately liberal co-hosts on the panel program, along with pundit Jessica Tarlov and ex-US Representative Harold Ford Jr.
During his tenure at Fox News, Rivera had progressively distanced himself from his formerly conservative views and had grown more critical of the network’s hosts and news anchors. He had initially been a local reporter in New York, later achieving national prominence due to his investigative journalism, which included a renowned exposé on Willowbrook, a Staten Island facility for the developmentally disabled, and the highly televised unveiling of Al Capone’s vault.
Rivera’s exit from Fox News concludes his extensive stint at the network, where he has been a mainstay since 2001. In 2021, he penned a fresh contract with Fox in the capacity of a correspondent-at-large and was set to anchor a program on the network’s streaming service, FOX Nation.
The announcement of Rivera’s departure follows Fox News’ unveiling of its new primetime schedule, with Jesse Watters taking over the 8 pm slot previously occupied by Tucker Carlson. Carlson’s earlier departure from the network remains a topic of conjecture, particularly after the corporation settled a substantial lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems.
Rivera’s abrupt removal from The Five and his consequent exit from Fox News have incited speculation about the network’s future and the changing interactions among its hosts. Rivera made his last appearance on Fox & Friends on Friday, June 30.