Veteran television personality Geraldo Rivera has claimed that his appearances on Fox News’ The Five have been canceled this week.
The liberal leaning co-host has not appeared on the network since April 21, which was also Tucker Carlson’s last day before his shock firing.
Rivera did not give an explanation why he had allegedly been axed from the lineup, although he says he’ll be back soon.
He wrote on Twitter: ‘My appearances today and tomorrow on The Five have been canceled. I’m sure there’s a good reason. Never fear, I’ll be back week after next. Stay safe and happy. Thanks’ with a praying emoji.
Rivera shares the ‘liberal’ seat on the top-rate debate show with with commentator Jessica Tarlov and former Democratic congressman Harold Ford Jr.
The three rotating hosts replaced longtime liberal voice Juan Williams last year.
For six years, the journalist was the sole left-leaning member of the panel, and remains a political analyst for the network.
Rivera’s Tweet comes after he was at the receiving end of his co-host Greg Gutfeld’s online mockery.
On April 26, days after the announcement of Carlson being abruptly let go from Fox News, Rivera tweeted: ‘I don’t wish ill on anybody, but there is no doubt – as I said at the time – Tucker Carlson’s perverse January 6 conspiracy theory was “b******t.”‘
‘Having lost the election President Trump incited an insurrection that sought to undermine our Constitutional process.’
Rivera had many times criticized the former Fox host’s downplaying of the violent Capitol riots as ‘nothing more than a political protest that got out of hand’ as ‘inflammatory and outrageous and uncorroborated.’
Gutfeld responded to his social media post, writing: ‘You’re a class act Geraldo. A real man of the people.’
One Fox News insider speculated to The Daily Beast that Gutfeld may have played a role in Rivera’s alleged removal.
Other sources within the network claimed however that Rivera was never on the show’s calendar to begin with and that it was always supposed to just be Tarlov and Ford in the ‘liberal’ seat this week.
Rivera did not respond to Gutfeld’s remark until more than a week later on May 4, where he wrote: ‘Thank you @GregGutfeld for your kind remarks.’.
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