Former Mayor of New York city Rudy Giuliani insisted during a recent interview with NBC New York he does not have a problematic relationship with alcohol.
The personal lawyer and advisor to Donald Trump said:
"I'm not an alcoholic. I'm a functioning..."
Giuliani then changed track mid-sentence, and finished after a pause:
"I probably function more effectively than 90% of the population."
He further denied any of his more outrageous blunders on television were in any way related to alcohol consumption.
"I don't think I've ever done an interview drunk. I have, sometimes... I mean, I drink normally."
"I like Scotch, I drink Scotch."
Several people who have struggled with alcohol themselves, or had people close to them who do, said they saw parallels between Giuliani's answer and their own pasts.
@therecount If you know an alcoholic, you know this is an alcoholic answer.— Name cannot be blank (@Name cannot be blank) 1630094701.0
Very sad to see how far my now-disbarred, scotch-swilling, hair-dye-leaking former lawyer @RudyGiuliani has fallen!… https://t.co/7CmhGNKgli— Donald J. Drumpf (@Donald J. Drumpf) 1630206828.0
@Salon "So you do not believe you have a drinking problem," "I don't believe it -- I know I'm not, I mean, I -- n… https://t.co/hByOeWRPOW— j howe (@j howe) 1630064579.0
Anyone who has a need to deny they have a drinking problem has a drinking problem. https://t.co/6O5xDEj6ss— Gordon McClendon🌊🌊🌊🌊 (@Gordon McClendon🌊🌊🌊🌊) 1630113755.0
Rudy Giuliani channels Ron Burgundy: “I don’t think I’ve ever done an interview drunk. I have… sometimes… I mean, I… https://t.co/TPBIs70kA1— Sku (@Sku) 1630077911.0
" Im a functioning..." A "functioning" WHAT? Sounds like Rudy almost slipped & called himself a "functioning alc… https://t.co/zQkHaz1KGA— RipplesOfHope (@RipplesOfHope) 1630247991.0
Rudolph says, I don't think I ever did an interview while drunk. You "don't think"?? I think I could tell you rig… https://t.co/WJBXH44GZz— Jim, #Resist/Rebuild Better. Vaxxed, pro-Science (@Jim, #Resist/Rebuild Better. Vaxxed, pro-Science) 1630060617.0
Rudy Giuliani says he's not an alcoholic & claims he functions 'more effectively than 90 percent of the population'… https://t.co/gwzHQh2BdI— Sumner (@Sumner) 1630094263.0
Some questioned what "normal" scotch drinking means.
@therecount He doesn't have a drinking problem, then he goes on to tell us that he drinks Scotch "normally." What i… https://t.co/RncIUxZe4o— Plainfield2 (@Plainfield2) 1630094736.0
'I drink normally': @RudyGiuliani tells @NBC New York 'I don't think I've ever done an interview drunk'… https://t.co/GTVMSPdEss— Michael Cohen (@Michael Cohen) 1630059634.0
@Salon Define “normally”. Some normally have a couple beers/shots a week and some have a couple beers/shots an hour… https://t.co/R5NdQ5gptR— Mike Phillips (@Mike Phillips) 1630082900.0
"I drink normally," Rudy Giuliani tells NBC New York./ This is like Paris Hilton saying she is very modest.— Margo Howard (@Margo Howard) 1630203238.0
This is far from the first time Giuliani's potential over-consumption of alcohol has been discussed in the media.
In 2019, several of former President Trump's allies suggested Giuliani be stopped from giving interviews about Trump because of his erratic behavior and suspected drinking, according to CNBC.
Joe Scarborough of MSNBC said in 2018 one of the reasons Giuliani was passed over for a cabinet position was he was "drinking too much," and "falling asleep five minutes into meetings."
Giuliani was outraged during a subsequent interview with Politico.
"None of that is true. I'm not sleeping now. I'm in Dallas. I'm wide awake."
In regards to the allegations of problematic drinking, Giuliani replied:
"I'm not drinking for lunch. I may have a drink for dinner. I like to drink with cigars."
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