Geraldo Rivera Says He’s Not Running for Senate Because ‘Fox Freaked Out’ (Video)

The Fox News correspondent at large said his employer told him to “pick a lane” after he teased a Senate run

Geraldo Rivera
Fox

Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera on Friday morning walked back his talk of running for the U.S. Senate and admitted that his bosses at the network “freaked out” at the idea.

“The initial vibe was great but it was also much more overwhelming than I ever expected. Fox freaked out, said, ‘Pick a lane. Are you a journalist or a politician?’ And I wasn’t ready to jump off my current turnstile so instead I had to kind of embarrass myself and say never mind,” Rivera explained on “Fox & Friends” of his sudden retraction.

Rivera said on Wednesday that he was considering a run for Senate, eyeing the seat in Ohio that is soon to be vacated by Republican Rob Portman, who announced he would not seek re-election in 2022.

“Pondering running for retiring @senrobportman seat in United States Senate,” Rivera tweeted, before adding, “#GoBuckeyes.”

In a follow-up interview, Rivera told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “I think that’s a crucial seat. We’re very concerned about the future of Ohio and the nation and we think we have a role to play.”

Fox News has lost contributors to political races in the past. Sarah Huckabee Sanders departed the network in January to run for governor of Arkansas, for instance, while Newt Gingrich also left to pursue his own political ambitions years ago.

Watch below, via Media Matters.

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