Geraldo Rivera, a former Fox News host and longtime media personality, voiced sharp criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris on October 17th, 2024, following her recent interview on Fox News. During the high-profile interview with anchor Bret Baier, Harris was confronted with tough questions on immigration, one of the country’s most pressing issues.
Despite this, Rivera, who has announced he supports Harris in the upcoming election, expressed disappointment over her responses on the topic.
Rivera appeared on NewsNation after the interview aired. He described Harris as “feisty” and “more mature” in her overall demeanor but was left baffled by what he perceived as her inability to handle the immigration questions effectively. According to Rivera, it should have been obvious that the Fox interview would focus on the southern border and the Republican narrative of victimization surrounding immigration. He emphasized that Harris’ team missed a critical opportunity to give her stronger responses.
Baier’s questioning zeroed in on the deaths of several Americans, including Laken Riley, allegedly at the hands of undocumented immigrants. Rivera pointed out that Harris failed to acknowledge the political exploitation of these tragic deaths. He believed the Vice President could have humanized her response by showing empathy towards the victims and calling out the politicization of their deaths, a point Rivera found to be a missed opportunity for her campaign.
Rivera’s critique didn’t stop at Harris’ interview handling but extended to the Democratic Party’s overall response to the immigration crisis. He warned that immigration remains the Democrats’ “biggest Achilles heel” and that their inability to provide clear and impactful solutions could significantly damage their chances in the upcoming election. Rivera specifically highlighted how this issue, if not handled correctly, could play directly into the hands of Donald Trump, whose immigration stance has been a focal point of his campaign.
It isn’t the first time Rivera has had an issue with Harris’ media appearances. Despite supporting her for president, he has been consistently vocal about her performance on critical issues. He argued that the Vice President must stop being a “doormat” regarding issues like immigration, which has remained a weak point for her. Rivera has urged her team to be more strategic in addressing these politically charged topics and to anticipate attacks from opponents.
During the interview with Baier, Harris also faced questions about other national concerns, such as President Biden’s health and international relations, including U.S. policy on Iran. While her responses on these issues were less controversial, her perceived misstep on immigration dominated the post-interview commentary.
The political landscape surrounding immigration has become more fraught in recent months, with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reporting over seven million encounters with illegal immigrants since the beginning of fiscal year 2021. Rivera pointed out that with such staggering figures, the topic of immigration is unavoidable and must be addressed head-on by the Democratic ticket.
In the broader context of the 2024 presidential race, Rivera’s critique of Harris is significant. His public announcement that he will vote for her, and his disapproval of Trump’s continued false claims about the 2020 election, calling him a “sore loser,” places him in a unique position. His criticisms reflect the concerns of moderates and those within the Democratic Party who want Harris to take a firmer stance on key issues.
As her media appearances continue, political analysts and supporters will be watching closely to see how she handles the pressure of national scrutiny on these pressing topics.