Geraldo Rivera Defends Matt Lauer

SO YOU ALL KNOW
THAT MATT LAUER WAS IN A LOT OF TROUBLE BECAUSE OF
ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, SIGNIFICANT ONES.
HE WAS FIRED YESTERDAY BY NBC NEWS.
HE WAS THEIR TOP STAR IN TERMS OF BEING A HOST OF THE TODAY
SHOW.
HE WAS THEIR TOP STAR IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH MONEY THEY PAID HIM,
28 MILLION A YEAR.
SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS WERE SIGNIFICANT.
GERALDO RIVERA DID NOT SEE IT THAT WAY AND HE STARTED
TWEETING.
BAD IDEA.
WE DO WANT TO DISCUSS WHETHER HE HAS ANY POINTS AT ALL
THE
LET ME GIVE YOU HIS TWEETS.
>>WHAT ABOUT HIM?
>>APPARENTLY HE THINKS THAT WAS NO BIG DEAL.
WE DISCUSSED THIS YESTERDAY, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS OF
WHAT GARRISON KEILLOR IS ACCUSED OF.
ALL THESE FOLKS ARE INNATE TOUGH POSITION.
IF I WAS CLOSE TO SOMEONE IT WOULD BE TOUGH, YOU HAVE TO GET
PAST THAT AND SAY WHAT HE DID WAS WRONG.
I THINK THAT GERALDO IS NOW SAYING THERE IS SOME COURTSHIP
AND IT DOES HAPPEN IN SOME OFFICE ENVIRONMENTS INCLUDING
NEWS.
>>BUT HE IS
SAYING THIS IN RESPONSE TO THE MATT LAUER STUFF
WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS SAYING IT SHOULD BE CONFINED TO
DOT IT COMES OFF AS BIZARRE THAT YOU ARE TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO SAY PEOPLE ARE GOING WILD.
HE WAS THE HIGHEST-PAID, PERHAPS IN SOME WAYS MOST POWERFUL
PERSON THERE.
AND ONE OF THE WOMEN SPECIFICALLY SAID SHE WENT ALONG
WITH A SEXUAL THING BECAUSE OF HER FEAR OF LOSING HER JOB AND
DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THE SHAME AND CONTINUED FEAR.
THEY HAD TO DECIDE SHOULD WE LISTEN TO HER AND THEN FIRE OUR
$28 MILLION A YEAR EARNING MATT LAUER?
WE KNOW HOW THAT HAS HISTORICALLY GONE AND A LOT
OF THESE COMPANIES.
>> I DON'T THINK IT IS UNFAIR TO POINT OUT THAT YOU
SHOULDN'T BELIEVE EVERY ALLEGATION.
ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS ANY KIND OF PROCEEDING.
MATT LAUER DOESN'T EVEN AGREE WITH THE FIRING.
>>HE SAID SOME OF WHAT HE HAS ALLEGED IS NOT TRUE.
BUT HE IMPLIES IT IS TRUE.
>>GERALDO, EVEN IF YOU WERE TO MAKE THIS POINT THAT YES SOME
SMALL PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN MIGHT WANT TO GO AFTER BAD BOSSES OR
PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH, YOU AT LEAST
HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT IT IS A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN
BECAUSE HISTORICALLY AND STATISTICALLY THAT IS THE CASE.
AND NUMBER TWO, THIS IS A BIZARRE ONE TO FIGHT ON.
IT SEEMS LIKE ROGER AILES, WHO GERALDO ALSO DEFENDED IN THE
BEGINNING, BUT ALSO DESCRIBED WHAT ROGER AILES WAS DOING
IS FLIRTY.
ROGER AILES CHASED A WOMAN AROUND THE ROOM WITH HIS
PANTS OFF.
I THINK THAT GOES WAY BEYOND FLIRTY.
>>HE MIGHT BE THINKING THAT HE IS NOT SPECIFICALLY
RESPONDING TO MATT LAUER, IT IS JUST A LOOK ANOTHER ONE,
NOW LET ME TALK IN A META-WAY.
HE'S GOING TO UNDERCUT HIMSELF EVEN MORE IN THE NEXT TWEET.
THE GENERAL IDEA THAT IN THIS SITUATION, VERY OFTEN PEOPLE
LIKE GERALDO FEEL THE NEED TO SAY WHAT IF THEY ARE JUST COMING
AFTER BAD BOSSES ARE HATED EXES OR ARE LOOKING FOR MONEY.
IT'S NOT JUST THAT HE IS NOT THE PERSON DELIVERING THAT MESSAGE
BECAUSE HE IS COMING OFF AS A GUY WHO WAS SWEATING ABOUT
THE SITUATION.
LET'S IGNORE THAT, TO ANY GUY THAT WANTS TO MAKE THAT COMMENT
IN THE FUTURE, WE GOT IT.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THE CONCERN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT
THERE WILL BE REPRISALS AGAINST BOSSES, OR MAYBE SOME GIRL
WANTS MONEY OR LIES.
EVERYONE HAS ALREADY HEARD THAT POINT.
IT'S NOT LIKE GERALDO MAKES AN AMAZING ñ
OBVIOUSLY EVERY CASE INVOLVES LOOKING AT THE SPECIFIC DETAILS.
BUT WHEN YOUR RESPONSE LARGELY IS JUST THAT IT SEEMS LIKE
YOU ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MAN IN THIS CASE.
IN THIS CASE IT IS A MAN WHO CLEARLY DID IT, MATT LAUER,
HE DID TERRIBLE THINGS.
YES WE WILL RESPOND NEGATIVELY.
EVERYONE ALREADY GETS THE CONCERNS.
NO ONE IS GOING TO JAIL WITHOUT INVESTIGATING WHAT HAPPENED.
YOU DON'T NEED TO REITERATE IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS IF
THAT IS THE ONLY THING WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT.
>> ONE MORE TWEET FROM GERALDO.
IT DOES SEEM LIKE IT IS A CHRISTINE O'DONNELL MOMENT
ñ THIS IS A PERSON WHO RAN FOR SENATE IN DELAWARE.
SHE WAS THE REPUBLICAN AND TEA PARTY CANDIDATE AND SHE FAMOUSLY
MADE AN AD SAYING I AM NOT A WITCH.
PEOPLE WERE LIKE WHY?
WERE YOU A WITCH?
>>HER OPPONENT DID NOT MAKE CLEAR THAT THEY WERE NOT A
WITCH OR SORCERER.
>>THAT WAS WEIRD.
GERALDO IS WRONG ABOUT POINT NUMBER ONE BECAUSE HE SAYS
YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT WITHIN FIVE YEARS.
IN THE 1970S, 80S, 90S, UNTIL MAYBE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO
PEOPLE WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT WITHOUT FEAR
OF REPRISALS WHICH THERE WERE PLENTIFUL.
IT HAPPENED ALL THE TIME.
IN FACT ROGER AILES WAS ACCUSED OF FIRING PEOPLE IF THEY
WOULDN'T HAVE SEX WITH THEM.
AND YOU WORK AT FOX NEWS, YOU SHOULD BE FAMILIAR.
AND A LOT OF THAT HAPPENED WELL PAST FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO SAYING IT IS FIVE YEARS AGO ñ IT FEELS LIKE GERALDO IS SAYING
THAT ñ WHATEVER YOU THINK YOU MIGHT CATCH ME DOING WAS SIX
YEARS AGO OR EARLIER.
A LOT OF THESE WOMEN HAVE HAD-
>>YOU
CAN'T MAKE A CLAIM AFTER FIVE YEARS OR THREE MONTHS OR SO.
>>MOST OF THESE WOMEN HAVE CONTEMPORANEOUS CORROBORATION.
THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED ON THE DIFFERENT CASES, THEY HAVE
BEEN METHODICAL IN POINTING OUT WHO THEY SAID IT TO AT THE TIME,
NOT JUST TODAY.
THEY TOLD HER EX-BOYFRIEND, HUSBAND, ETC.
>>WHICH
MAKES IT AT THE END OF THE DAY KIND OF A STUPID POINT TO MAKE.
FIRST OF ALL IF YOU COMMITTED A CRIME, IT IS A CRIME.
AND ABOUT THE CONTEMPORANEOUS THING.
DOES HE THINK THE PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS PURELY BASED
ON ONE COMMENT?
MATT LAUER DID NOT LOSE HIS JOB WITHOUT ANY
EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS TRUE WHATSOEVER.
OBVIOUSLY COMPANIES ARE DOING THOSE SORTS OF
INVESTIGATIONS IN THE MOST HELP PROFILE CASES, LIKE
WEINSTEIN OR ROY MOORE WE HAVE TONS OF CONTEMPORANEOUS
WITNESS STATEMENTS AND OTHER FORMS OF EVIDENCE.
THAT IS ALREADY THERE AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THESE
INVESTIGATIONS KNOW THAT.
IT COMES OFF AGAIN AS THE SORT OF WEIRD KNEE-JERK TO DO WHAT
YOU THINK IS DEFENDING YOURSELF.
POINTING OUT STUFF THAT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR.
>>MAYBE IT IS BECAUSE HE IS AT FOX NEWS.
THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS OF A PERSON WHO WE WILL NOT NAME WHO
IS LOOKING FOR MONEY WHEN SHE WAS NOT IN A SIMILAR SITUATION
AS OTHER WOMEN WERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS UNDER HIS SKIN.
I DON'T KNOW.
YES, OF COURSE AT SOME POINT THERE WILL BE A BAD ACTOR, OF
COURSE NOT EVERY PERSON IS TELLING THE TRUTH.
BUT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY ARE.
THINK ABOUT YOUR BALANCING HERE.
WHEN PEOPLE SAY I BELIEVE THE WOMEN.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING IS IN THE PAST THE WOMEN WERE NOT
BELIEVED.
SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY WOMAN IS TELLING THE TRUTH.
YES SOME WOMEN MIGHT BE MAD AT AN X OR SOMETHING.
BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MATT LAUER
IS THAT CASE.
>> NEWS I GUESS CAN BE A FLIRTY
BUSINESS, A LOT OF BUSINESSES
ARE, THEY TEND TO BE HIGH STRESS ENVIRONMENTS WHERE PEOPLE SPEND
LONG HOURS, THEY HAVE SHARED EXPERIENCES.
I USED TO BE A WAITER, THEY ARE VERY INCESTUOUS AREAS.
IF IT IS CLEAR IT IS A CONSENSUAL THING, CREEPING
SOMEONE ON MAKING THEM AFRAID TO COME TO WORK, THEN OF COURSE
BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A PLACE LIKE THAT.
IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE FOCUS NOW TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THE HABITUAL LONG-TERM POWERFUL HARASSERS ñ
MAYBE WE SHOULD ATTEND TO THE MORE IMPORTANT STUFF FIRST.
>>IS NEWS A FLIRTY BUSINESS?
IN MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE, YES.
I DON'T MEAN HERE BUT THE TALES OF LOCAL NEWS I WOULD HEAR
BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I BRIEFLY WORKED IN LOCAL NEWS, AND
THE TALES I WOULD HEAR IN CABLE NEWS ñ THEY ARE SECONDHAND
ñ BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF HOOKUPS.
AT SOME POINT ONE OF THESE CASES GO TOO FAR?
PROBABLY.
WHAT I MEAN BY TOO FAR IS SOMEONE WILL MAKE A WRONG
CHARGE.
AND THE PENDULUM WILL KEEP ON SWINGING.
>> WE VERY OFTEN ñ THEY MAKE THE CASE THAT WOMEN COULD LIVE.
AS YOU SAY IT HAS HAPPENED, VERY RARELY, NOT NEARLY AS OFTEN AS
PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE.
AND THEY WILL OFTEN SAY THE FEAR IS THEN THAT WILL CAUSE THEM
FOR PEOPLE TO NOT TRUST WOMEN THAT ARE TELLING THE TRUTH.
BUT WE NEVER FLIPPED THAT WERE NINE TIMES OUT OF 10 THE GUYS
THAT ARE ACCUSED, THEY DENY THAT IT HAPPENED, BUT THEN WE
FIND OUT IT DID.
AREN'T THEY HURTING MEN WHO ARE INNOCENT?
>>GREAT POINT.
APPARENTLY IN THE 2014 INTERVIEW ñ
HE BEMOANED CONTEMPORARY WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL FOR GERALDO.
I DON'T THINK LAUDING THE CULTURE OF THE 70S AND 80S
IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.
HE SAYS NOW IF YOU LOOK AT AN INTERN WITH CROSS EYES YOU
GO TO JAIL.
IT IS SIX SEX WAS FREE.
YOU HAD NO HR, NO WORKPLACE RULES AGAINST IT BACK IN
THE DAY.
>>NOWHERE TO RUN, NOWHERE TO HIDE IT.
>>IT IS NOT A GOOD THING THAT THERE WAS NO RULE OF LAW OR
HUMAN RESOURCES TO PROTECT ANYONE BACK IN THE DAY.
BUT FOR GUYS LIKE GERALDO, THEY DID THINK THOSE WERE THE GOOD
OLD DAYS.
THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A BAD IDEA SO FOX NEWS THEN SAID
THIS.
>> THAT IS A GOOD STATEMENT.
>> GERALDO CAME BACK AROUND WITH A DIFFERENT TWEET.
>>WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING.
ON THE PERIPHERY OF WHAT HE IS SAYING THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS
THAT NEED TO BE HAD, SOCIALLY WITHIN MEN AS A COMMUNITY.
I THINK YOU ARE STRESSING THEM AT A TIME THAT IS NOT IDEAL.
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Geraldo Rivera Defends Matt Lauer

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