The man with the iconic mustache may be entering the political arena.
Fox News personality, radio man, and longtime political pundit Geraldo Rivera is teasing a run for office.
Word spread of the news after his tease-worthy comments were featured in The Plain Dealer.
And according to reports, he has his sights set on the congressional seat of Rep. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who will not be seeking election.
The empty seat has become a soft target for Rivera, who purportedly thinks he can make inroads as an unorthodox candidate.
“Pondering running for retiring @senrobportman seat in United States Senate,” he wrote on Twitter, before adding, “#GoBuckeyes.”
Pondering running for retiring @senrobportman seat in United States Senate. #GoBuckeyes
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) March 10, 2021
“I think that’s a crucial seat,” Rivera told the Cleveland-area paper. “We’re very concerned about the future of Ohio and the nation and we think we have a role to play.”
The Plain Dealer reports that, in order to explore this potential move, Rivera is going to be touring the state of Ohio to determine whether or not he should run.
Of course, there’s one wrench that would be thrown into this plan should he decide to run.
Former President Donald Trump.
The ex-president has taken the role of GOP kingmaker in his days post-White House, instructing voters to quash establishment Republicans who broke with him during his waning days of the presidency.
Rivera — an outspoken personality on Fox News — has often clashed with Trump and his supporters.
Woah. Trump’s buddy Geraldo Rivera comes out in favor of the impeachment of Donald Trump.#ImpeachandRemove pic.twitter.com/xrzNcJvGrm
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 13, 2021
Though Rivera noted that the two have had a friendship over the years, there’s no guarantee that the former president would endorse Rivera.
But Rivera thinks he’s safe for now.
“He’s been a friend of mine forever,” he said. “I have been very public in my disapproval of his actions post-election and certainly condemn in the most vigorous way what happened on Jan. 6.”
“However, I think President Trump is not only redeemable, but he’s a force of nature who has been a lifelong friend in my adult life. I would expect he would approve of this. We can resolve our issues and help heal the Republican Party.”
So he hopes.
Should Rivera run, he will have some competition.
Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan and former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton are both exploring the idea of running.
The Horn editorial team