You might not remember this, but there was a time when Rudy Giuliani was a beloved public figure. His tenure as New York City mayor was far from sparkling, but many believed he did a fine job holding the town together after the 9/11 attacks. He was even dubbed “America’s mayor.” Jump 20 years and there’s a chance he could go to the slammer for former president Donald J. Trump — words that would no doubt sound surreal to the people of 2001.
In a new, unhinged interview with NBC New York, Giuliani — who joined Trump’s legal team in 2018 — railed against the months-long federal investigation into his dealings with Ukraine. He’s accused of being an unregistered lobbyist for the nation’s officials. He maintained his innocence, while dubbing the investigation “lawless.”
“I committed no crime, and if you think I committed a crime, you’re probably really stupid, because you don’t know who I am,” he told NBC. But he is not above taking one for the team. “I am more than willing to go to jail if they want to put me in jail. And if they do, they’re going to suffer the consequences in heaven.” He added, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
When he was asked why he would willingly go to prison if he was innocent, Giuliani replied, “Because they lie, they cheat.”
Giuliani also discussed his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. Before violent Trump supporters stormed the building, endangering the lives of all within, he delivered an impassioned speech encouraging them to stop what he claimed was a stolen election. But unlike many in the GOP, he didn’t try to pretend it was actually fine.
“I believe Jan. 6 was a crime. I believe they committed the crime of trespass, I believe they did some destruction,” he said.
Last month Giuliani was suspended from practicing law in the state where he once presided as mayor. After Trump lost re-election, he became one of the most dogged champions of the lie that the race was rigged. He repeatedly humiliated himself in inventive ways, from staging a press conference at a random landscaping business to enlisting the testimony of a relentlessly mocked “witness” to having goo dribble down his head — all for a guy who calls police officers “pussies.” When asked about his legacy, though, he was not filled with dread.
“I can’t control that, I can’t control my legacy,” Giuliani said. “I believe I will be vindicated.”
(Via NBC New York)
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