Geraldo Rivera: Give $1,000 to all adult Americans as coronavirus hits economy

Geraldo Rivera on Friday proposed an economic plan to help American workers and families who are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic — a measure similar to one brought forth by Democrats Andrew Yang and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.<br /><br />“[President Trump] wants this payroll tax holiday which is a great idea, I think. But it only helps people that make money, money that the payroll tax would be deducted from,” Rivera told “Fox & Friends.”<br /><br />REPUBLICANS OPPOSE PELOSI'S CORONAVIRUS LEGISLATION, FLAGGING 'MAJOR' PROBLEMS<br /><br />“So why not combine [the payroll tax holiday] with the Yang-Tulsi Gabbard plan to give every adult American $1,000 in cash right now,” Rivera said.<br /><br />“I think if you give them the $1,000 in cash right now, plus the payroll tax holiday for however long this emergency lasts, then I think people will be celebrating from the unemployed or working folks to the middle class to the upper-middle to the high-income earners,” Rivera said.<br /><br />Rivera’s comments came after the Hawaii lawmaker Gabbard told Fox News that she did not believe Trump's proposed payroll tax credit does enough for small businesses and those making less than $25,000 per year, saying she has her own proposal that would give adult Americans $1,000.<br /><br />Trump on Tuesday proposed reducing the payroll tax for both employers and employees from 14.4 percent to zero during a lunch with Republican senators where the economic response to the coronavirus was the main subject of conversation.<br /><br />Rivera said that now is the time to be generous in the short term<br /><br />Rivera went on to say, “It’s a one-time hit on the deficit, no doubt about it, but, you don’t make it permanent. But you give a little something for everybody. Everybody feels confident. You know, $1,000 in your pocket, what are you going to do with it? You’re going to spend it.”<br /><br />Host Ainsley Earhardt pressed Rivera further on his economic plan. “How are you going to pay for it though Geraldo? [Tulsi] wants to give $1,000 to each adult every single month.”<br /><br />“I want to give $1,000 to each and every adult in America [as soon as possible] and I want to do it tomorrow -- or -- today's Friday -- let’s make today payday,” Rivera said.<br /><br /><br />“We’ll send the checks in the mail so people will start shopping again,” Rivera said.<br /><br />Yang, who campaigned in the Democratic presidential race on giving Americans a universal basic income, said federal intervention in the economy should involve direct payments to Americans.