The Reason Geraldo Rivera Just Blasted Tucker Carlson

As a Donald Trump supporter and a conservative talking head with one of the most highly-rated shows on network television, it's no secret that Tucker Carlson is generally a despised figure for Democrats, progressives, and others who lean to the left. But now, a latest bout of right-wing pundit in-fighting has resulted in a widening rift between Carlson and another famous Fox News correspondent — none other than media personality Geraldo Rivera.

In fact, Rivera went on the record following the release of a trailer for Tucker Carlson's upcoming week-long docuseries. Titled "Patriot Purge," Carlson's new project, according to its trailer, aims to prove that other groups — not the hundreds of right-wing and white nationalist rioters who stormed Capitol Hill to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election — were the cause of the violence that left five people dead. And, like many of the documentary's critics, Rivera is having absolutely none of it.

On October 28, Geraldo Rivera took to social media to express his disdain for Tucker Carlson's "Patriot Purge" special, tweeting his thoughts in a simple, three-word message. "'False flags!?' Bulls***," Rivera tweeted, making a reference to the docuseries' trailer, which theorizes that the January 6 insurrection may have been a "false flag" operation (as in, the people being blamed for it are not actually responsible). The tweet — or rather, a retweet — was also a response to an initial post made by GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger, who wrote that "anyone working for @FoxNews must speak out" against Carlson's series. Kinzinger referred to the program as "disgusting," claiming that "it appears @foxnews isn't even pretending anymore" about, presumably, disseminating misinformation. So Rivera, a Fox News regular, obliged Kinzinger's request.

In a later interview with The New York Times, Rivera expounded upon his contempt and scorn for not only "Patriot Purge," but Carlson's role in bringing it to air on their network. "There are some things that you say that are more inflammatory and outrageous and uncorroborated," Rivera told the NYT, later adding, "I'm wondering how much is done to provoke, rather than illuminate." On the subject of January 6, Rivera was stalwart. "The record to me is pretty damn clear, that there was a riot that was incited and encouraged and unleashed by Donald Trump," he said.