'The View's Sunny Hostin And Joy Behar Mock Journalist Geraldo Rivera's Closeness With 'Racist' Donald Trump

The View's hosts Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar cornered journalist and former host of The Five, Geraldo Rivera, for admitting his alleged closeness with 'racist and misogynist' Donald J. Trump. On Thursday, July 13, 2023, Rivera was a guest on the ABCs talk show; however, he was definitely not prepared for his Trump statement to backfire.

Rivera had recently been "fired" from the Fox News show, The Five, and he discussed the 'memorable' time spent on the sets to the "alleged hostility" that led to his departure from the show. During the conversation, he also suggested he's "not a friend" to Trump anymore, per OK Magazine. 

The host asked Rivera how he feels after "leaving" the show, whether he's angry or excited, and whether he's going between those two feelings. The 80-year-old said, "I change when sometimes bitterness seeps in, and it's a lot of BS." Behar interrupted, "It's a process."

The American journalist echoed, "You know it is a process. I think. And listening to your previous discussion in the last segment, Fox had a moral crisis after the election. Yeah, everyone knows I was close to Donald Trump for decades. You can boo or cheer. We came up together in New York in the 1970s when he was in New York." 

After he admitted to his friendship, Behar replied, "That was different; he (Trump) was a New York character." Rivera explained, "Right, and I did Celebrity Apprentice, you know, and then, you know, as fate would have it, just weeks after I did Celebrity Apprentice, he announced for the presidency." 

The ex-host also clarified his association with the former president goes way back before he turned into this "crazy" man after losing the 2020 elections. He continued, "So, I mean, how many people have, you know, their friend, the drinking buddy, although he didn't drink ... In the White House as president." 

"And I say. 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," Rivera trailed off as Behar interrupted him again. "What happened to him?" Behar inquired.

The Republican journalist replied, "What happened to him was he lost the election and became a crazy guy." The View's panelist Behar immediately quipped, "He was crazy before that. What are you talking about?" Fellow host Hostin mocked, "I mean, he was a misogynist and a racist before then." 

Rivera concluded, "Well, listen, he was always nice to me. But you're right. You're right." The 54-year-old Hostin asked, "Did he know you were Puerto Rican?" Rivera said in his defense, "A lot of Puerto Ricans like Donald Trump. I know. You know, I know." Hostin quickly clarified, "I'm not one of them." 

Rivera "ended" his 23 years of association with Fox News after claiming the news channel had a 'moral crisis' after the 2020 elections. His exit also came amid his "toxic relationship" with one of the co-hosts about whom he shared on The View, "I thought it was very unfair that in our disputes, he was always favored," per Deadline.