Ex-Fox Host Geraldo Rivera Once Said Trump's 'Draconian' Immigration Plan Was Going To Be 'Cruel'

Former Fox News host Geraldo Rivera previously opined that if Donald Trump were to be re-elected as President, he would be upfront about his hostility towards immigrants. Rivera discussed the idea of Trump using a second term to continue his harsh rhetoric and anti-immigration policies from the first with CNN's Jim Acosta on Sunday. As reported by HuffPost, Rivera told Acosta, "I believe he is serious. I believe that in his mind, he sees a very simplistic answer to this problem. You know, brutality."

Rivera further added, "He will deport. He will hold as many as he can, deport as many as he can, as fast as he can. He’ll undo the dreamers. He’ll make the dreamers into nightmares. He will scare the bejesus out of potential immigrants, and I think it will have a positive impact on the southern border, however cruel he is. The more cruel he is, I think the lower illegal immigration will be."

The former Fox journalist also highlighted Trump's 'tough guy' attitude, which includes threatening to shut off trade with Mexico and other 'draconian' perils. Rivera said, "He will be cruel. He doesn’t care. And the sad thing is it will appeal to his base in ways that I think will be very disappointing to those of us who want a pluralistic, inclusive society."

According to a New York Times article, Trump was planning to significantly expand the tough immigration policies of his first term if he won the presidency again in 2024. The proposed plans call for the construction of huge camps to hold migrants awaiting deportation and the involvement of federal and local law enforcement in the nationwide roundup and detention of illegal immigrants. If Congress does not provide the necessary financing, Trump might utilize the same strategy he used during his first term to gain more funding for a border wall: he could divert funds from the Pentagon.

These comments came after Trump threatened to launch 'the largest domestic deportation operation in American history' during a rally in Florida last year when he claimed criminals were entering the country over the US-Mexico border. As reported by Fox News, Trump said during the rally, "Under my leadership, we had the most secure border in U.S. history. Now, we have the worst border in the history of the world... Following the Eisenhower Model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history."

The former President also stated his intention to "invoke the Alien Enemies Act to remove all known or suspected Gang Members, drug dealers, or Cartel Members from the United States." He further added, "I will make clear that we must use any and all resources needed to stop the invasion—including moving thousands of troops currently stationed overseas to our own southern border."

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Nov 14, 2023. It has since been updated.