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Geraldo: Trump has 'tarnished' his legacy in a 'tragedy of Shakespearian proportions'

2021-01-08 | 🔗
Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivera says before President Trump 'incited' the Capitol Hill riots he could have 'easily run for 2024.'
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Nature, every dose is put in the arms of someone who wants it now. Donald Trump addresses the nation condemning the violent riots on Capitol Hill. Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem to those who broke the law. You will pay. My focus turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing this moment, calls for healing and reconciliation. Brian moments ago, they assistant House speaker telling CNN they are moving forward with Senator Chuck, Schumer and Nancy Pelosis call to remove the president from office. The assistant house speaker says they are planning and impeachment vote next week. If, vice President MIKE Pence does not invoke the twenty fifth amendment, he said he would not do that. We learned capital police officer has died after
confronting rioters on Capitol Hill. He apparently was hit in the head during the melee with a fire extinguisher. He was able to make it back to headquarters but died later, a motorcade honoring him outside the capital last night, where he worked for twelve years, officers held a moment of silence. One thousand dollars reward: if you know who stormed the capital there is the wanted poster that has been hanging up the fbis in conducting a manhunt for dozens of riot suspects lets bring in Geraldo Rivera. How are you? It has been a really hard week for our country, terrible Ainsley. What are your thoughts, the speech the president made? I was he made it Tuesday night before he inspired and incited that mob to storm the capital.
There is no doubt the president bears responsibility and hearing the capital police officer has succumbed to his injuries. It is inexcusable a dark stain on american history. I want the Trump term to end as soon as possible. On January 20th, these efforts, the local newspaper trumps term, could come to a end early like every newspaper in the country, all suggesting this is now. This issue is on the table. I do not want that to happen. I think the president should finish his term. What happened? History will judge him and it is something grotesquely disappointing to me. What happened- and I tell you- I blame
Senator Josh Howley as much as I blame the president, because those are two brilliant men, Stanford and Yale TED, Cruz, Princeton and Harvard brilliant lawyers. They knew there was no constitutional, judicial or legislative path to overturn the election and they went along with that phony Steve. Why did they do it? I will tell you why they did it. They did it because both of them are in competition to inherit the Donald Trump Constituency. They wanted to inherit that superb group of Working Class Americans, the president, has forged into a new republican party. They wanted to take that mantle in two thousand and twenty four, their own cool hungry ambition that drove them so dismayed by their behavior
Brian. You dont know that. Let me finish you dont know what their intention was to inherit intention was to inherit anything TED Cruz. The play by play is up there. He talked to Senator Kennedy. What can we do? Because there are problems in these states if we want to elect oral reform, a series of debates had nothing to do with the riots had no idea. What was happening, he didnt incite the riots. You are so wrong. You are so wrong. You are wrong, because these are very clever people. They knew the impact of their words and they knew by holding out the possibility. The election could be overturned and absurd possibility. But these two smart, clever senators,
siding with the president, nothing to do with the riots, a legal argument which they are allowed to do. It is built into the constitution and whether you like it or not, that is one thing, but to blame them for the deaths of five people and for the riots Ainsley. I did read and article saying if you blame the President or Josh Howley for rioters, who do the wrong thing to you: blame Bernie Sanders for the shootings of the crazy guy who shot at Scalise. It is a great arguments. You dont, I dont recall the facts of the Bernie Sanders situation. He was a Bernie Sanders supporter. Anyone who listens to the presidents harangue to that mob on Wednesday knows that
they were in their mind. They thought they were doing the presidents bidding. They thought the president wanted them to storm the wanted them to storm the capital. He said go down there and Don Junior was even worse and Rudy Giuliani. What did they expect that crowd to do once it got to the United States Capital set up picnic chairs? What were they going to do peacefully march back and forth? They were filled with rage. There was this possibility. The election could be overturned, which was absolutely false. They were counting the electoral votes. You cannot say they broke the legal issue.
Now you settle this in a ten day. They are not responsible for the riots dont, let the propaganda for you. They knew there was no chance, zero chance, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Brian there was no chance that was going to happen was going to happen. You mentioned you liked Donald Trumps, twitter speech, where he kind of conceded the curious thing what he said yesterday at the very end he said our incredible journey is only just beginning. There are seventy four million Americans who voted for him wondering what that means. It is just beginning. Is he going to run again or try to influence people? I could see him saying that on. I could see him saying that on
his last day, but after the week he has had, what do you think this great beginning is, is trying to restart undo what he did? He had a magnificent legacy. If you stopped history on Monday, you had a president who was the father of the vaccine, the ones that got the vaccines, the ones that got the vaccines ready to save the world in record time. He got those peace treaties in the Middle EAST. He got the economy going, that elevated economy going that elevated black and brown Americans among others. So much going for him, he could have easily run for two thousand and twenty four. I had the conversation with the president when he called me four times in this house Friday, the thirteenth of November, ten days after the election, he was much more calm. He was redesigned which he said he was a realist. He said he would do the right thing.
Then he became more militant as the days progressed digging in his heels saying he would not accept the word of the american voter and the results is tragic and has tarnished his legacy in a terrible way. Brian, a final question, given there are fifty sixty seventy million people who voted for him after his this week, so many people are confused. What do you say to people who are confused? Let me address the speaker of the House Pelosi and the new majority leader in the Senate, Schumer from New York Senate Schumer from New York and say what you are doing is reopening the wound, the tension and the division. Shame on you! You are as grandstanding as Howley and TED Cruz. This I condemn what they are doing.
We need what the president did. Last night. Calm us unite us apologize for the loss of the cop and others who died. Maybe mistakes were made, I didnt mean I love you. America lets go forward. We are getting the vaccines. We will get this plague behind us and have better days. I want the president to remind people why we loved him remind people. Seventy million what inspired them to leave the comfort of their home to go to Washington because he is beloved by seventy million Americans, but to tarnish his legacy to crap all over it. This is something that is a tragedy of shakespearean proportions, because now Donald Trump is not going to be the shining star. We should be focused on the
vaccine. The transition it Ainsley Maxine Waters said getting. Peoples faces every side, no matter what group. If they are violent, they need to be condemned, doesnt matter. If you vote with them or not, people dont need to get in peoples faces and restaurants. I always agree with you keep in mind. The law and order Democrats were invisible in the spring and summer when cities were being destroyed and there are two hundred and twenty days of riots in Portland and they took over locks in Seattle and in New York. Brian thank you for holding us to the flame and showing you.
Transcript generated on 2021-01-08.