Fox News host Dan Bongino and Geraldo Rivera got into a heated debate Thursday over recent spikes in COVID-19 infections.
Bongino and Rivera appeared together on Sean Hannity’s show to discuss how President Joe Biden’s policies at the U.S.-Mexico border might be impacting the spread of the coronavirus, but Rivera attempted to redirect the conversation. (RELATED: ‘Arrogant, Selfish, Reckless’: Geraldo Rivera Says He Thinks Less Of Unvaccinated People)
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Hannity set up the conversation by warning Rivera not to defend Biden, saying that the failure to either vaccinate or test immigrants coming across the border was effectively shipping the virus to cities all across the nation. “Our fellow Americans will die because of this stupidity,” he said.
“Talking about stupidity, actually, I reject that characterization, that harsh characterization,” Rivera replied.
“Oh, it’s brilliant? It’s smart?” Hannity pressed.
“It’s absolutely foolhardy —” Rivera began.
“It’s asinine. He is a jackass for doing it,” Hannity said.
“I believe in mandates, I believe in vaccine passports. I believe everyone coming into this country illegal, illegal, alien, earth person, wherever they come from, if they are coming into this country I insist that every one of them is vaccinated,” Rivera replied.
Hannity suggested that Rivera should get Biden on the phone and tell him that he should be testing and vaccinating immigrants before sending them into the United States.
“Mr. President, I want everyone who is crossing into the United States whether by land, sea or air to be vaccinated. If they don’t want to be vaccinated, turn them around right there,” Rivera said, pivoting then to attack Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over refusing mask and vaccine mandates despite a spike in his state.
“Let’s stay focused on the border, Geraldo. Focus on the border,” Hannity pushed back but Geraldo kept talking about the case numbers from Florida.
“Geraldo!” Hannity said again.
“This has nothing to do with Joe —” Rivera protested as Bongino joined the discussion.
“Geraldo, about Ron DeSantis, he doesn’t know the numbers. I live here,” Bongino said. “Geraldo, it’s not my fault you never know what you’re talking about.”
“You are so full of crap! You are so full of crap —” Rivera shot back.
“It’s not my fault you don’t research anything before you come on air,” Bongino replied.
The two talked over each other until Hannity stepped in, saying, “Geraldo, let Dan talk.”
“He doesn’t like to do that, Sean, because he always gets caught never knowing what he’s talking about,” Bongino jabbed.
“Stop that! Stick to the story, you are so full of it!” Rivera objected.
“I did stick to the facts, I know them! You never know them,” Bongino insisted.
The two continued to argue, talking over each other and slinging insults until Bongino pointed back to Rivera’s earlier call for the Biden administration to vaccinate illegal immigrants as they came into the country as well as his support for mask and vaccine mandates.
“You want to grant a set of rights to noncitizens, right? You want to allow them to walk in and out of the country while I have to stop at a line at a passport station to come back as a citizen, while you want to take away actual citizens’ rights over controlling their own bodies and the medicines that go in it —” Bongino continued.
“Gas lighting, gas lighting,” Rivera intoned, and the two continued to spar until Hannity brought the interview to a close.