If you want to thank somebody for helping to change President Donald Trump’s mind on outright ending DACA protections, can you thank Gerlado Rivera?
According to him, yes.
“In my own mind, my own heart, my dear old friend, the 45th president of the United States was watching ‘Fox and Friends’ that morning, heard my heartfelt plea — and people like me who are rooting for him 100 percent, tell him this is a bad thing to do and that I have to rethink my relationship if he went down that road to be heartless and cruel,” he said on the morning program Friday.
In Rivera’s defense, he bookended that statement with a disclaimer saying that of course he wasn’t sure if he had any influence.
“But I am delighted the President of the United States has done the right thing for these 800,000 absolutely comprehensively vetted young people all of whom have jobs or are in the military or college. I think he did a wonderful, wonderful thing.”
You can watch the clip on Mediaite.
The correspondent went on Fox News last week to plead with Trump not to end DACA, saying that the people that would be affected are some of the country’s most vetted.
Later on the show, Rivera commended Trump for working with Democrats on a bipartisan plan to repeal the debt ceiling. He said that it sent a message to Republicans, who he felt didn’t work with Trump on the healthcare repeal.
“If you don’t play ball with me I’m gonna deal with the devil and I think it worked,” Rivera said.
You can watch that clip below.
.@GeraldoRivera on President Trump’s deal with Democrats: "Sent the message, if you don’t play ball with me I’m gonna deal with the devil” pic.twitter.com/nZ4nnRzYW5
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) September 8, 2017