Rudy Giuliani has once again become the punchline of the internet, but this time it’s not just because of his controversial political stances or his role in spreading election conspiracy theories. No, this time the former New York City mayor is trending online after making a bizarre claim: he can’t afford to buy food.
The irony? Giuliani was spotted cruising around in his vintage Mercedes-Benz just days before issuing his plea for financial help. The car, according to reports, was once owned by the legendary actress Lauren Bacall. Yet, the 80-year-old attorney told his social media followers this week that he was “persecuted to the highest level” due to his support of Donald Trump—and that the financial fallout from his legal troubles left him unable to afford basic necessities like food.
Posting on Truth, Giuliani shared a link to a crowd-funding campaign to cover his mounting legal fees.
“They seized my measly checking account, he wrote. he wrote, adding, “I can’t buy food.”
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As if the absurdity of begging for donations to cover food costs wasn’t enough, Giuliani’s plea comes just after his high-profile appearance at the polls—arriving in his gleaming luxury car.
Predictably, memes and jokes about the former mayor’s “poverty” spread like wildfire, with many pointing out the obvious contradictions between his financial pleas and his lavish lifestyle.
Giuliani’s plea focused on his ongoing legal battles, including a $150 million defamation case involving election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. He accused his opponents of waging “lawfare” against him and criticized the judge overseeing the case, calling the legal proceedings “distorted” and “full of left-wing hate.” The funds raised, he claimed, would go toward covering his legal defense costs.
Meanwhile,a court ruling has ordered him to transfer ownership of his $5.6 million Madison Avenue co-op apartment, as well as his 26 luxury watches, the Mercedes, and other valuables, to Freeman and Moss as part of the defamation lawsuit. Giuliani’s legal team has argued that such a ruling would leave him “penniless and homeless,” a claim that seems rather hard to take seriously when considering his reported wealth and assets.
Giuliani’s legal troubles stem from his own false accusations of election fraud, which he made against Freeman and Moss. Despite a court ruling against him, Giuliani maintains that he does not regret the defamation and even stated that he believes the legal system itself is the real problem—not his actions.
Giuliani’s claim of financial hardship is further complicated by his ongoing dispute with Donald Trump, from whom he claims to be owed $2 million for work done on the former president’s campaign. Yet, Giuliani’s fundraising appeal casts him as an embattled figure in desperate need of support, while his expensive tastes, legal entanglements, and defiant attitude suggest otherwise.
It seems Giuliani is stuck in a paradox of his own making: proclaiming poverty while surrounded by the trappings of wealth. While asking for donations to fund his legal defense, he continues to ride around in a luxury vehicle, leaving many to wonder: If you can afford a Mercedes, can you really claim you can’t afford lunch?
