The man responsible for the recent explosions in and around Austin, Texas killed himself on Wednesday morning after being pulled over in his vehicle by police. In their reporting of the story, one host on Fox News stunned viewers by suggesting that the suspect was a conservative who was targeting liberals in the city.
Fox News on Austin
On March 2, a bomb exploded at a residence in Austin, Texas, resulting in the death of one individual. Over the next three weeks, five more bombs were planted, with all but one going off killing a total of two people and injuring five others.
A manhunt was set out to find the person responsible with culminated early Wednesday morning when the suspect, Mark Anthony Conditt, was pulled over by police before setting off a car bomb and killing himself in the process. As the reporting was taking place on Fox News, host Geraldo Rivera noted that the suspect was likely a conservative who was targeting liberals.
WATCH: Geraldo Rivera explains why Austin bomber likely was a conservative targeting ‘a dot of deep blue in a sea of red’ https://t.co/dhbW8xBI43
— Raw Story (@RawStory) March 21, 2018
"Austin is not only the capitol of Texas, it’s also the hub of the main campus of the University of Texas," Geraldo Rivera said, adding, "It is a dot of deep blue in a sea of red.
A very liberal town." "There was a lot of attention to this liberal island in a conservative sea,” Rivera went on to say, noting "That might have had something to do with his choice of targets and the timing of these."
Fox News revolt
In response to Geraldo Rivera's remarks, fans of Fox News were not happy and were quick to fire back, as first pointed out by Raw Story.
"OMG, Geraldo Rivera seriously? You have one-track mind. Don’t know how our genius POTUS can be friends with you. Such a simple mind," one tweet read.
And just like Al Capone's vault Geraldo Rivera was wrong no military experience. The only thing Geraldo Rivera has experience and expertise in is being a liberal
— fair&accountable 💪 (@BeAccountable4u) March 21, 2018
@GeraldoRivera I disagree with you frequently(I’m a Constitutionalist), but generally like you. However, your speculation last night on Hannity, that the bomber may have targeted Austin because of its sanctuary city policy, was irresponsible and needlessly inflammatory.
— AnInformedPopulace (@TwlightZoneFan) March 21, 2018
Liberals will probably try a narrative of him being a right wing extremist like hack @GeraldoRivera tried to do last night saying maybe this guy doesn't like how LIBERAL Austin Texas has become b4 he knew anything about the psycho.
— AmericanWoman (@LWilsonDarlene) March 21, 2018
"Geraldo making assumptions about dead suspect is about as credible as his past incorrect assumptions, let L.E.
complete investigation, we want facts not guesses," a Twitter user noted. "Very irresponsible of (GA) to speculate on motive like that. The country is so racially/politically divided, and snap judgement like that, presented as almost fact, can be dangerous," another tweet added.
I'm a little perplexed once again. Geraldo Rivera is saying a white male may have been getting revenge on the City of Austin for being a sanctuary city. What is wrong then with saying an illegal brown male drives drunk and kills an entire family or innocent white person?
— JRichards (@JERichards67) March 21, 2018
very sad that Gerardo Rivera, in the fair and balance channel and before any investigation is done, suggested that the bomber maybe choose Austin since there there is a ,blue, liberal college,
— Claudia Clara Maria (@nassurelo) March 21, 2018
Very irresponsible of @GeraldoRivera to speculate on motive like that. The country is so racially/politically divided, and snap judgements like that, presented as almost fact, can be dangerous. @foxandfriends #AustinBombings
— MMHRN (@mmhsweeps) March 21, 2018
"Geraldo basically blaming a conservative for the bombing," yet another tweet pointed out.
"I'm a little perplexed once again. Geraldo Rivera is saying a white male may have been getting revenge on the City of Austin for being a sanctuary city. What is wrong then with saying an illegal brown male drives drunk and kills an entire family or innocent white person?" an angry Fox News fan wrote.