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RIVERA'S REASONING

Is Geraldo Rivera a Republican or a Democrat?

The journalist and attorney has remained involved in American politics over the last few decades

GERALDO Rivera made headlines after he left Fox News in June 2023, citing his age and growing tensions as the reasons for his exit.

Less than a year after his departure, former Fox News political commentator Geraldo Rivera announced that he was joining NewsNation as a correspondent-at-large beginning Wednesday, February 14, 2024.

Geraldo Rivera on the Dan Abrams show at SiriusXM Studios in New York City, on November 1, 2018
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Geraldo Rivera on the Dan Abrams show at SiriusXM Studios in New York City, on November 1, 2018Credit: Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images - Getty

Is Geraldo Rivera a Republican or a Democrat?

According to , Rivera is a registered , although he reportedly supported Democrat President Barack Obama during the 2012 election.

Rivera has confirmed that he's pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and pro-immigration reform.

He has also stated that he supports gun control.

He has thought about running for Senate on a few occasions throughout his career.

In 2013, he considered running as a Republican in the 2013 United States Senate special election in to fill the spot of Frank Lautenberg after his death.

However, he eventually decided against the run.

Despite having previously been friends with former President , Rivera reportedly confirmed that due to “spouse influence,” he decided not to vote in the 2016 election.

Trump’s description of was another reason Rivera decided not to vote for the candidate, as previously stated.

Rivera also decided not to run after considering running in the U.S. Senate election in in 2022 to replace Senator Rob Portman.

Who is Geraldo Rivera?

Rivera was born July 4, 1943, in , New York.

He is a journalist, political commentator, attorney, and author.

He hosted Geraldo, a tabloid talk show, from 1987 to 1998.

When his TV special, titled The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults was released in 1986, Rivera garnered much publicity.

He also hosted a news magazine program titled Geraldo at Large and sometimes partakes in the Geraldo Rivera Reporters broadcast.

He has also made regular appearances on Fox News television programs like The Five. 

Geraldo Rivera at the Friars Club gala honoring Tracy Morgan with the Entertainment Icon Award in New York City, on May 26, 2022
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Geraldo Rivera at the Friars Club gala honoring Tracy Morgan with the Entertainment Icon Award in New York City, on May 26, 2022Credit: Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images - Getty

Rivera attended the State University of New York Maritime College from 1991 to 1963, where he was a member of the rowing team.

He then received a degree in business administration from the University of Arizona in 1965. 

He was raised “mostly Jewish” by his parents, Lillian and Cruz “Allen” Rivera.

He has been married to a woman named Erica Michelle Levy since 2003.

He also has five children.

Rivera's successful career has earned him a hefty fortune.

According to , his net worth is valued at approximately $20 million.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Rivera won awards for his investigative journalism reports on John Lennon's death, Elvis Presley's death, and abused patients.

How long did Geraldo Rivera work at Fox?

Shortly after leaving CNBC, Geraldo Rivera joined Fox News in November 2021 as a war correspondent.

He remained with the network for over two decades, which included stints on shows like The Five and Fox & Friends.

On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, Rivera took to X, formerly Twitter, to announce that he is leaving Fox News' The Five.

He : "Morning, it’s official, I’m off @TheFive. My last scheduled show appearances are Thursday and Friday June 29th and 30th."

"It’s been a great run and I appreciate having had the opportunity. Being [the] odd man out isn’t always easy. For the time being, I’m still Correspondent at Large."

During an interview with the that same day, Rivera offered additional insights into why he was leaving the network.

“It has been a rocky ride but it has also been an exhilarating adventure that spanned quite a few years,” he said.

“I hope it’s not my last adventure," he added.

“It’s not worth it to me," Rivera said at the time, adding: “I’m 80 years old. I don’t want the friction." 

"The Five is too intimate a place and it gets too personal.”

As per , Rivera was "among the rotating series of hosts from the left" who joined the talk show following Juan Williams' 2021 exit.

The outlet also reported that a spokesperson for Fox News "did not immediately return a request for comment."

On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, Rivera announced that he was joining NewsNation as a correspondent-at-large.

confirmed that Rivera would be joining the team "effective immediately" and will "appear across the network’s daytime and primetime programming." 

He is scheduled to make his first appearance on the network on CUOMO on February 14 at 8 pm ET.

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“Geraldo is a legendary journalist whose talent and experience is unrivaled in the industry,” Michael Corn, president of news at NewsNation, said in the press release.

“We look forward to him joining the network and providing our viewers with his one-of-a-kind analysis," he added.

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