Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld unloaded on Geraldo Rivera after he mentioned the model of an electric vehicle he almost bought.
The co-hosts of Fox News’ “The Five” discussed a proposed pollution rule from the Environmental Protection Agency that could require two-thirds of new car sales to be electric vehicles by 2032.
Rivera sought to downplay the impact of the proposed regulation as he argued the shift to EVs is being driven by market forces — not government intervention or incentive.
“A subsidy of $7,500 is not a big deal,” Rivera said, adding, “I was going to buy an EV Bentley … they offered me a $7,500 rebate.”
After a few minutes, Gutfeld was given the opportunity to release his thoughts that were apparently stewing in his mind since Rivera mentioned the words “EV Bentley.”
With his arms outstretched, he said, “I’m trying to control myself.”
“Why?” Rivera asked
Gutfeld explained, “Because you just said EV Bentley. And you just explained why people like you find it so easy to sermonize about electric vehicles — because you can afford it.”
“Are you attacking me?” Rivera asked.
Watch the video below:
Gutfeld responded:
“Yes, I am attacking you. You deserve it… What I’m pointing out is you just said ‘EV Bentley’ to our audience, right? Who has to pay for the charging stations? Our audience, right? Who has to pay for the transition from gas to electric stoves? Our audience.”
Rivera interjected, “Who has to pay for the cancer they get… from the gas-powered cars?”
However, Gutfeld shot back, “God, you don’t even have the science to back that up. You have to bear the brunt of your beliefs. You don’t, because you can afford an EV Bentley. We’re telling our audience to suck on it.”
Geraldo exposed a flaw in the push for EVs. It’s easy for people who are worth millions to switch over to electric vehicles without really blinking an eye. The difference between $100,000 and $160,000 may not mean that much to them.
But as Kelly Blue Book pointed out, the average cost for an EV rose to over $58,000 in February — which The Washington Post notes is around the annual median income of the average U.S. worker. There are cheaper models available, but they come with trade-offs such as slower charging and smaller ranges.
It might sound cool to talk about electric Bentleys or electric Hummers, as President Joe Biden did. Yet, for a lot of Americans, those premium EVs are way out of their reach.
And they’re going to be frustrated and annoyed if they’re being forced to buy a cheaper EV because that is what meets their budget and they cannot find a gas-powered car that meets their budget or needs.
Those in favor of transitioning entirely to EVs come off as so tone-deaf and out of touch when they talk about rapidly moving away from gas-powered vehicles as though every American can currently afford to make the switch.