During an exchange on Sean Hannity‘s Fox News show, Geraldo Rivera slammed the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from their parents who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.
At the outset of the segment, Hannity claimed that Democrats are standing in the way of “a fix on separation for kids.”
“They’re playing politics,” Hannity said. “Fix the law and do your job. That’s it.”
“This is cruelty as policy. This is an obscenity,” Rivera shot back.
“This is the government of the United States and the president that we both love advocating a system by which young children are torn from their mothers,” Rivera continued. “History will judge us, Sean. … We must take a stand on something.”
Hannity said he agreed, adding that he wants “no separation.”
“The president and you supported him, offered a DACA fix and a fix on this law, as horrible as it is, immediately he’ll sign it,” the Fox host said.
Rivera pointed out how the outrage resulting from Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy on illegal border crossings, saying that regardless of what Trump has achieved, “this is the only thing people are thinking about.”
“Twenty-three hundred children have been torn from their parents forcibly,” Rivera said, growing emotional. “These are little babies, 18 months old. These are 10-year-olds with disabilities taken from their parents. This is impossible. We can’t condone this. The Republicans are the party of faith and family.”
“When did we become the party of child abuse?” he asked.
Later in the segment, Hannity asked Rivera if he supported an “emergency session of Congress, take the DACA, take the separation fix, take the funding of the wall, and both houses do their job and the president signs it. It can happen tomorrow.”
Rivera: “I agree. But before tomorrow, tonight, the president should end this policy.”
Hannity: “You aren’t answering the question.”
Rivera: “I do not condone child abuse.”
Hannity: “Don’t play politics. You can’t be that naive.”
Rivera: “There are 2,300 babies without their mother tonight.”
Hannity: “Congress should do their job.”
Watch the exchange in the video below:
Featured image via screen grab
