Geraldo Rivera's Michael Hastings Tweet Draws Backlash; He Attacks 'Tweeting Vandals'

Geraldo Rivera became the target of heavy criticism on Wednesday night after he tweeted what many deemed to be a highly insensitive comment about the late Michael Hastings.

Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and Rolling Stone, died in a shocking car crash in Los Angeles at the age of 33. His death prompted an outpouring of mourning from many corners. Rivera was apparently not grieving, though. In his tweet, he allowed that the death had been "tragic" but added that it was "hard to forget" Hastings' most famous article, which led to the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal in 2010.

Not surprisingly, there was an immediate backlash. Responding to a charge that he had "insulted" Hastings, Rivera replied, "you are wrong. I did not 'insult' Mr Hastings by pointing out a truth he was proud of."

On Thursday morning, Rivera fired off a couple more tweets about the situation: