Fox's Geraldo Rivera Defends Matt Lauer's Moderation: Trump Is “Very Charismatic” And Clinton “Is Like The Schoolmarm Who Kept You Late”

Rivera: “It's Not That Easy To Be Mean Or Harsh With Donald Trump”

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

From the September 9 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Did you think Matt Lauer was too hard on [Hillary Clinton] and not hard enough on [Donald Trump]?

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GERALDO RIVERA: And also I must say, and I think in fairness to Matt, I love Matt, that Donald is very charismatic. He's very charming. It's not that easy to be mean or harsh with Donald Trump. 

DOOCY: He actually interrupted Donald Trump 13 times, her seven. 

RIVERA: Take me at my word and my experience, he's the chummy guy, the guy you elbow-up to the bar with. And Hillary, on the other hand, is like the schoolmarm who kept you late. And I think the humorlessness in her campaign is one of the strategic deficits that she's facing and I think it's wearing on the American electorate. And I think it is part of the reason he is surging in the polls. Was Matt Lauer fair, unfair? It's a tough scene, you got 30 minutes each. I think he did a fine job. It was entertaining show, huge ratings. And I want to see a lot more of it.