Geraldo rips Trump for taking vacation while COVID bill unresolved: 'We needed some leadership here'

Geraldo Rivera slammed President Trump on The Five Wednesday night for heading to Mar-a-Lago while the COVID relief bill remains in limbo. Congress passed the bill Tuesday night after months of deliberation, and Trump almost immediately said he wouldn’t sign it, demanding larger stimulus checks. If no action is taken on the bill, the government will shut down early next week and millions will lose unemployment benefits.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was quick to agree with Trump’s demand for larger stimulus checks in a rare moment when Trump and Pelosi find themselves on the same side of an issue. Republicans, on the other hand, have stayed largely silent. With so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID relief bill and so much at stake, Rivera was left wondering what would happen next.

“Now what are they supposed to do?” Rivera asked. “He’s going to Mar-a-Lago, now is Nancy Pelosi going to meet with Mitch McConnell? Are they gonna get together, get a plan? What are the American people gonna do? We’re left adrift right now.”

Video Transcript

GERALDO RIVERA: But what about the president? I mean, he's threatening a veto. He's gone on Christmas holiday. What the hell are we supposed to do now?

- On "The Five" Wednesday, Geraldo Rivera slammed President Trump for heading to Mar-a-Lago while the COVID relief bill passed on Tuesday remains in limbo after the president said he wouldn't sign it, demanding larger stimulus checks. Then on Wednesday, Trump vetoed the defense spending bill. And Geraldo had some questions.

GERALDO RIVERA: The president has said this is no good. What about the defense authorization part of this? What about paying the military? You know, what happens when all this funding is exhausted on the day after Christmas or thereabouts?

- Geraldo went on to castigate the president for being more focused on his attempts to stay in power than on helping the American people.

GERALDO RIVERA: We needed some leadership here. Instead we got, I think, the president saying, first of all, making an allusion, maybe I'll be the next administration, which is farcical. But more importantly, he's the leader of the free world. Give us some guidance.

- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi jumped at the chance for larger stimulus checks, as Trump suggested, while Republicans have remained largely quiet. And as a government shutdown looms, if no action is taken on the bill, Geraldo was left wondering what will happen next.

GERALDO RIVERA: Now what are they supposed to do? He's going to Mar-a-Lago. Now is Nancy Pelosi going to meet with Mitch McConnell? Are they going to get together and get a plan? What are the American people are going to do? We're left adrift right now.