Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani believes that George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, even Jimmy Carter loved America — but not Barack Obama. Speaking in front of a group of wealthy Republican donors at the 21 Club in New York, Giuliani stated that the current President just doesn’t love enough.
“I do not believe — and I know this is a horrible thing to say — but I do not believe that the president loves America… He doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country.”
Politico was there to catch Rudy Giuliani’s speech, which was at an event for Wisconsin governor Scott Walker — a possible presidential contender in 2016.
Giuliani added “with all our flaws, we’re the most exceptional country in the world. I’m looking for a presidential candidate who can express that, do that and carry it out.”
Rudy Giuliani elaborated later on why he felt President Obama didn’t love the country, explaining that he “sees our weaknesses as footnotes to the great things we’ve done.”
“What country has left so many young men and women dead abroad to save other countries without taking land? This is not the colonial empire that somehow he has in his hand. I’ve never felt that from him. I felt that from [George] W [Bush]. I felt that from [Bill] Clinton. I felt that from every American president, including ones I disagreed with, including [Jimmy] Carter. I don’t feel that from President Obama.”
The speech wasn’t Giuliani’s first time chastising the President, in fact, he’s nearly made a career of it. According to the Huffington Post , the former mayor blamed President Obama after two police officers were killed in New York, saying the president’s “ propaganda ” had convinced people to hate the police.
After the shooting death of Michael Brown, Rudy Giuliani also said that the police wouldn’t have any business being in black neighborhoods if they “weren’t killing each other.”
Likewise, the Washington Post reports that Giuliani ripped the President for speaking out against crimes perpetrated in the name of Christianity, like the crusades and Spanish Inquisition. Rudy explained the President should have been calling out Islam.
As for Scott Walker, his comments at the event were left strictly off the record, but he did speak to CNBC about the event.
“The mayor can speak for himself, I’m not going to comment on what the president thinks or not,” he explained.
When he was asked if Rudy Giuliani’s comments were offensive, he said, “I’m in New York, I’m used to people saying things that are aggressive.”
[Image Credit: Getty Images]