Journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher responded to the news that Geraldo Rivera left The Five by offering herself up as “a daily lesbian beat down for your motley crew.”

Swisher responded to a tweet by Brian Stelter who, in turn, linked to an AP article about Rivera’s departure as a sometime (somewhat) liberal from the show:

Hey @greggutfeld — I’m free, @JessicaTarlov needs a teammate and, most of all, a daily lesbian beat down for your motley crew — Pirro does not count obvi, because, well, you know, too easy — would be content gold. https://t.co/qjVilpRYmB

— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) June 22, 2023

Last week, I wrote that Rivera had been kicked off the show by cohost Greg Gutfeld. An interview with the AP’s David Bauder makes it clear Rivera was pushed out, not thrown out:

Rivera said that it was his choice to leave “The Five,” but that Fox management “didn’t race after me to say, ‘Geraldo, please come back.’” There was no immediate comment from Fox.

…

Rivera would not comment directly about Gutfeld.

“There has been a growing tension that goes beyond editorial differences and personal annoyances and gripes,” he said. “It’s not worth it to me.”

Rivera also said he is “committed to bringing” the message to Americans that “under no circumstances” should Donald Trump become president again. Bauder added, “Although ‘The Five’ and its large viewership would seem a prominent place for him to deliver that message, [Rivera] said ‘you can imagine the friction that role by definition’ would provoke.”

Sure, The Five should be a great place for that kind of debate but when Fox News wants a liberal at the table what they really want is a liberal who plays by the right-wing hosts’ rules.

Long-time readers know I adamantly believe Democrats (probably not politicians) should be clamoring to go on Fox. Not to ever take a pay check from the network, because that requires all kinds of compromises, but to deliver a beat down, as Swisher promises.

I doubt the very thin-skinned Gutfeld would want anyone to give him a serious challenge. But you never know. Swisher would probably be ratings gold. Right behind Fox’s desire for right-wig propaganda is a desire for ratings - especially now that Tucker Carlson is gone.

But here’s a tip for anyone else with a desire to deliver a Fox News beat down: Pitch yourself as someone willing to play by their rules - and then deliver the beat down when the host is least expecting it. Yes, the segment will probably end abruptly and no, you’ll probably never get invited back but your appearance will probably go viral.

Better yet, confronting the bullies by the horns would do the country a lot of good.

(H/T Mediaite)

(Image: Kara Swisher @ SXSW 2019, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)