Media

Geraldo Rivera, Charlie Kirk clash over voter fraud: ‘That is so dishonest’

Fox News’s Geraldo Rivera and pro-Trump pundit Charlie Kirk got into a heated argument Monday night as Kirk continued promoting unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud after the Electoral College formalized President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

Rivera, who has repeatedly called for President Trump to concede to Biden, said on Fox News Monday that “the longer we drag this out … the more we damage the fabric of democracy,” as reported by Mediaite. The longtime ally of the president added that it was also harmful to Trump’s legacy, saying he “should be taking a victory lap” over the unprecedented speed with which a coronavirus vaccine was developed.

Kirk countered that there are “very good questions” about the legitimacy of Biden’s victory and cited “plenty of pending legal challenges.”

Trump and his allies have repeatedly lost in court in their attempts to overturn the election. On Friday, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case from Texas, backed by the majority of House Republicans, that sought to overturn the results in four states. Numerous state GOP officials and Attorney General William Barr have said there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

“That is so dishonest,” Rivera responded. “We have litigated this for six weeks! Twice the Supreme Court of the United States rejected it!”

Anchor Martha MacCallum asked Rivera how Biden could hope to “meet” the Trump supporters who believe his election to be illegitimate. She also questioned how the president could “address them right now in a way that can at least allow them to feel that their voices are heard, that their concerns are understood.”

Rivera responded that Trump could put a stop to the baseless claims by conceding, saying that in 2000 then-Vice President Al Gore had the “grace and good sense” to do the same.

Trump’s supporters “believe him, they love him” and believe the evidence-free claims because he has endorsed them, Rivera added.