After all the drama over the past few weeks, Geraldo Rivera wrapped up his 20-plus years at Fox News on Friday with a celebratory appearance on Fox & Friends. The lengthy segment saw the morning show honoring Rivera not only for his tenure at Fox but also for his time as a tabloid show host and gonzo journalist. There was even a fun moment when other Fox & Friends personalities presented Rivera with a cake, all while wearing fake mustaches in tribute to his trademarked facial hair. Besides airing a montage of his career highlights, Fox & Friends also presented Rivera with a tribute video featuring a bevy of Fox stars—including Sean Hannity, Bret Baier, and Neil Cavuto—praising their longtime colleague. While some of Rivera’s co-hosts on The Five were also featured in the clip offering up warm remarks, such as Jesse Watters and Jeanine Pirro, one name that was notably missing was Greg Gutfeld. (Though Rivera’s career highlight reel did include some on-air banter between the two rivals.) While Rivera hasn’t commented directly about his relationship with Gutfeld, he has hinted that his frequent clashes on-air with the acerbic star may have played a role in his departure. Rivera said this week that he was quitting Fox because he had been fired as one of the rotating “liberal” panelists of The Five. Earlier this month, Rivera claimed it was his decision to leave the late-afternoon panel show, citing the “growing tension that goes beyond editorial differences and personal annoyances and gripes.”
