Giuliani: ‘I have never had an alcohol problem’

Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani vehemently denied having a drinking problem Wednesday, following the Times report.

Oct 4, 2023 - 14:25
Giuliani: ‘I have never had an alcohol problem’

Former Trump lawyer and adviser Rudy Giuliani vehemently denied having a drinking problem Wednesday, following a report from the New York Times detailing the former New York City mayor’s drinking habits.

“I do not have an alcohol problem. I have never had an alcohol problem,” Giuliani said during a press conference in Concord, New Hampshire in response to questions about the Times report.

“[If] I have an alcohol problem, I should be in the Guinness Book of World Records,” Giuliani said, citing his various accomplishments and his job history as evidence refuting the report.

“Nobody could have achieved that if they did [have a drinking problem]. ... I was working 24 hours a day. It's a big damn lie,” Giuliani told reporters, who had gathered outside Merrimack County Superior Court to hear the former mayor announce his plans to sue President Joe Biden over a comment Biden made about him during the 2020 presidential race.

According to the Times, those close to Giuliani have been concerned about his drinking for years. That concern has now caught the attention of prosecutors in the federal election case against former President Donald Trump, they report.

Giuliani slammed the Times during the press conference, calling the outlet a “disgrace,” and claiming the report was a lie. While he was responding to questions about the story, someone who appeared to be a member of Giuliani’s staff attempted to step in to end the press conference, but Giuliano refused. “It’s my press conference,” he said.

The response to the Times report came after Giuliani had announced plans to sue Biden, who during a 2020 presidential debate called Giuliani a “Russian pawn.”

“[Trump’s] buddy Rudy Giuliani. He’s being used as a Russian pawn. He’s being fed information that is Russian — that is not true,” Biden said in October 2020, accusing Giuliani of being influenced by Russia in his claims about the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Giuliani, who is facing mounting legal bills and a lawsuit from his former lawyers, lost a second attorney in Georgia on Wednesday, leaving him without local legal representation in the state where he is facing racketeering charges for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He did not respond to a reporter’s question Wednesday about how he plans to pay his legal bills.