Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivera was the first contestant eliminated from the 22nd season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars on Monday after he attempted a Donald Trump-themed salsa routine.
The 72-year-old, who had fallen to the bottom of the rankings last week, promised to “make dance great again.”
He began his routine situated at a desk in the Oval Office and donning a Trump wig and spray tan.
After fielding a call from “Vlad” (Vladimir Putin), Rivera ditched his suit for a Hawaiian shirt and was joined by his partner, professional dancer Edyta Sliwinska, who played the role of Melania Trump.
Watch a clip of the routine:
After a lackluster performance, judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Rivera, “Unfortunately you did not make dance great again, but you did make me laugh.”
Added fellow judge Len Goodman, “There is a word in the dictionary that describes this. It’s ‘trumpery.’ … No dance background, but you come out here and you give it your best shot. So Geraldo, I salute you.”
Host Tom Bergeron also joked, “The outfit was great, but the hands are too big.”
Prior to the show, Rivera took to Twitter to tease the performance:
After being cut, he said, “Everybody is so serious about it. We thought we’d have a laugh.”
Rivera also said he agreed with the show’s decision to eliminate him: