In a way, you have to admire the grim stoicism of Geraldo Rivera—a man so openly despised by both sides of the political spectrum, and for whom life has been like a 30-year chair to the face, yet who continues to offer himself up as a roving whipping boy for America’s mistrust of the media. Time and again he’s sent to cover a story armed with little more than a microphone and the shield of his incredible self-regard, only to have the story inevitably become about how much no one wants him there. It happened at Occupy Wall Street. It happened in Baltimore. And yesterday it happened again in Philadelphia, as Rivera wandered into the fray of protestors outside the Democratic National Convention, then was immediately surrounded by people shouting, “Fuck you!” and at one point, dumping water on his head. It was the most literal realization yet of Rivera’s role as Fox News’ human dunk tank.
The Daily Beast’s Andrew Desiderio caught part of the confrontation on cellphone video, capturing a standoff between Rivera and one protestor who calls him a “Nazi.” Clearly never having learned to not engage, Rivera retorts by asking whether he believes in a free press. “I support a free press, not a Wall Street press,” the protestor replies, but before this scintillating, live comment section can really get going, someone reaches up from behind and pours a bottle of water on Rivera’s head. Rivera is quickly ushered off by security guards as the crowd chants, “Shame! Shame!”—yet through it all, he wears the same strained smile, the rictus grin of someone who died inside long ago.
The abuse doesn’t end there, of course, as Geraldo Rivera is still in a public place. As he attempts to continue his live report, he’s drowned out by a protestor repeating, “Free Palestine!” until he turns and fires back, “We got it, sweetheart—stop stalking us.” And as another video posted by Press For Truth shows, he spent several more minutes being surrounded by angry throngs yelling, “Get the fuck out of here!” and “You call that reporting, Geraldo? Fuck you!” to his face, all while trying desperately to remain amiable with people inches from his mustache, calling him a “puppet” and shouting at him about his Trayvon Martin comments.