Prominent commentator Geraldo Rivera has cut ties with his former ally, Donald Trump, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. Rivera, who once had a close relationship with Trump, posted a lengthy and critical message on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he outlined his reasons for abandoning the former president and supporting Harris.
The commentator’s post, titled “Sore Loser,” marked a significant shift in Geraldo Rivera’s political stance. He expressed his disillusionment with Trump’s continued refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election and warned that re-electing Trump could lead to further erosion of democratic principles in the United States.
A Candid Reflection on Trump’s 2016 Rise to Power
Geraldo Rivera’s post opened with a reflection on Trump’s political ascent in 2016, a race that many had initially dismissed as a long shot. Rivera, who was a finalist on the final season of Celebrity Apprentice, recalled how Trump moved from political novice to the Republican nominee and eventually claimed victory over Hillary Clinton.
Despite Trump’s controversial past, Rivera admitted that he was once captivated by his former friend’s audacity. “I marveled at his audacity with his checkered past to seek the highest office in the land,” Geraldo Rivera wrote. But the commentator’s admiration for Trump waned after the 2020 election when Trump embarked on what Geraldo Rivera described as a campaign of falsehoods and conspiracy theories.
Post-2020 Election Disillusionment: ‘A Menacing Campaign’
Geraldo Rivera’s post made clear that his break with Trump was rooted in the former president’s refusal to accept the outcome of the 2020 election. Geraldo Rivera expressed dismay at Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, calling his efforts to undermine the results “increasingly menacing” and devoid of meaningful evidence.
The commentator criticized Trump’s actions in the wake of the election, noting that Trump’s rhetoric had coerced millions of Republicans into supporting a false narrative that the election was stolen. “None exists,” Geraldo Rivera wrote, referring to Trump’s claims of election fraud. “If you are a Republican, Donald Trump has made a liar of you.”
The January 6 Attack: Trump’s Role in the Insurrection
Geraldo Rivera did not hold back when addressing Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He accused Trump of inciting violence by encouraging his followers to disrupt the certification of the election results. According to Geraldo Rivera, Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election, an act that Rivera called an assault on the U.S. Constitution.
“As his followers trashed that sacred space, he was on the phone urging Vice President Mike Pence essentially to overturn the will of the American people,” Geraldo Rivera wrote, adding that Trump “stabbed the Constitution in the back” by prioritizing his political survival over democratic norms.
A Direct Appeal to Voters: Reject Trump’s Big Lie
Geraldo Rivera’s message took an even more direct turn as he appealed to voters, particularly Republicans, to reject Trump’s continued falsehoods about the 2020 election. He warned that supporting Trump, even for policy reasons, effectively condones the false narrative that the election was stolen, making every supporter complicit in the “Big Lie.”
He urged voters to acknowledge Trump’s loss and instead base their support on different grounds, such as opposition to Harris’s policies. “Better to admit he lost last time but that you don’t care because a Harris presidency would be a disaster,” Geraldo Rivera wrote, but emphasized that perpetuating Trump’s falsehoods is a betrayal of democratic values.
Geraldo Rivera’s Endorsement of Kamala Harris: A Bold Political Shift
The conclusion of Geraldo Rivera’s post was his official endorsement of Kamala Harris for president, an endorsement that stunned many, given his Republican affiliations. Geraldo Rivera framed his endorsement as a moral decision, based on his belief that Trump can no longer be trusted to uphold the U.S. Constitution.
“Former President Trump is a sore loser who cannot be trusted to honor the Constitution,” Geraldo Rivera wrote. “That is why I am voting for Kamala Harris to be our 47th President.” Rivera’s public endorsement of Harris highlights the growing divide within the Republican Party, as more prominent figures distance themselves from Trump’s polarizing leadership style and rhetoric.
