Geraldo Rivera on how voter enthusiasm impacts White House race
Fox News correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera joins 'Fox and Friends.’
America has "no idea" how November's presidential election will end up "other than the fact that it's going to be close," Fox News correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera said Friday.
In an interview on "Fox & Friends" with hosts Brian Kilmeade, Steve Doocy, and Jedediah Bila, Rivera said that while he believes President Trump has had a "hard time" over the last couple of months, he also has a "secret weapon" in his base.
PARSCALE CLAIMS TRUMP BEATING BIDEN WHERE IT COUNTS
Although recent polling shows presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ahead -- and outraising the president's campaign in the second quarter -- Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale argues that the president “is dominating” the former vice president “when it comes to the most important factor, enthusiasm.”
"As I read the enthusiasm meters, you know, I don't know much about politics but I do know that the people that raise the most money are generally thought to be the people who are being most enthusiastic with their base raising the most money. And, for the first two times ever, in May and in June, the Biden camp has outraised the president.," Rivera remarked. "So, I think the president has a hard time.
"Here is what the president has as a secret weapon," he noted. "There are many, many, many, many people [who] I speak with in every walk of life who are embarrassed to say they are for Donald Trump. They kind of like [mumble]. The other guy has lawn signs, he has Black Lives Matter signs. Very often, you don't see a Trump sign unless it's on a boat."
Rivera pointed out that "in terms of signage" and representation, Biden likely has the lead but Trump has a "wonderful way of making good long shots."
Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump shakes hands with Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of their first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, U.S., September 26, 2016. (Reuters)
"Four months out against Hillary Clinton, he was 17 points behind. He has a similar kind of mess he's in right now," he noted.
Doocy asked Rivera whether or not he agreed that many Americans would make their decision on which man to back after they have presented their positions on the debate stage.
"There's no doubt about it that the way people present themselves on that live debate stage when the whole world is watching, people pay a lot of attention to that," Rivera replied. "They pay a lot of attention to charisma. They pay a lot of attention to personality. They pay a lot of attention to who is spry and who is antique. Who is glib? Who is quick? Who is not? Who has got the [zingers]? Who doesn't?"
"I think that it just seems to me that you have a situation where both candidates for the highest office basically have 40 percent, and it's all up for grabs the 20 percent that's in the middle," he continued. "I think it's a very traditional American election that way."
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"Will it be 'the economy, stupid?' Maybe. Will it be disruption? Maybe. Will it be Black Lives Matter? Maybe. Will it be tearing down of monuments maybe? Will it be people feeling that they've lost control of their lives given the pandemic? Maybe," he said. "But, it's going to be the four months fraught with issues that have come up one after the other."
"We have no idea how this thing is going to end up," Rivera said, "other than the fact that it's going to be close."
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