Geraldo Admits D.C. ‘Has Been A S***-Hole For A Long Time’
Geraldo Rivera is not holding back when it comes to Washington, D.C. Amid the left’s outrage over President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the city’s crime crisis, the veteran broadcaster bluntly admitted that the nation’s capital “has been a s***-hole for a long time.”
Appearing on NewsNation, Rivera argued that D.C.’s crime problem is not new, nor is it merely a product of Trump’s law-and-order push. “D.C. has been, with all due respect to our nation’s capital, a s***-hole for a long time,” he said. Rivera compared the city to the dilapidated LaGuardia Airport of years past — a once-proud institution that had fallen into “grim and dark” decline.
?NEW: Geraldo Rivera:
“D.C. has been — with all due respect to our nation’s capital — a sh*thole for a long time.”
“If anything, it is worse than ever!”@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/BIM919OKzN
— Jason Cohen ?? (@JasonJournoDC) August 14, 2025
Rivera acknowledged that some critics are uneasy about the deployment of National Guard units alongside federal agents, but he insisted their role was being misunderstood. “Remember, these are citizen soldiers, the Guard,” he said. “In broad strokes, I agree that the military should not be deployed for a law enforcement purpose. But these people, the Guard, the citizen soldiers are there for a different reason. They’re there to calm people down and to also project a presence. You see a couple of Guardsmen, even if they don’t have their long guns — and they don’t, thank God — they’re there in a support function.”
The longtime TV personality had also taken to X to back up Trump’s position. “Trump’s right about shabby, scary Washington DC,” Rivera wrote. “When modest-sized city celebrates having ‘only’ 187 murders last year, it’s bad. Homeless encampments, public hard drug use, graffiti, filth; past time for the feds to pay attention to cleaning it up. Biden didn’t, due respect.”
Trump’s right about shabby, scary Washington DC.
When modest-sized city celebrates having “only” 187 murders last year, it’s bad. Homeless encampments, public hard drug use, graffiti, filth; past time for the feds to paid attention to cleaning it up. Biden didn’t, due respect.— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) August 13, 2025
Rivera’s remarks highlight the growing recognition — even from figures not always aligned with Trump — that the capital has reached a breaking point. While Democrats fume about federal overreach, ordinary residents are living with violence, drugs, and filth. Trump’s critics may rage at his methods, but Rivera’s blunt assessment underscores a reality that many in D.C. are unwilling to confront: the city has been in decline for years, and only bold action will reverse it.