Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Friday that his office has gotten some death threats following his statements earlier this week
accusing President Barack Obamaof not loving America, but he's not backing down from what he said.
"My secretary has received some death threats," Giuliani
told CNN. However, he insisted that most of the voicemails his office has received have been supportive.
Giuliani did not tell CNN if he alerted police about the threats, and the network reported that it could not confirm if the calls were actually made.
But for his part, Giuliani, who was himself a presidential candidate in 2008, told CNN he is not sorry for what he said and did not offer any apologies.
"I don't regret making the statement," said the former mayor. "I believe it. I don't know if he loves America. I don't feel the same enthusiasm from him for America.
Giuliani made his controversial comments that he did not believe the president "loves America," and has been appearing on one interview after another to stand his ground.
Further, Giuliani said, he does not mind that his comments became public from a private function, as several prominent members of the news media were there, including CNBC anchor Larry Kudlow, who served as the evening's moderator.
On Friday, Kudlow released a
column, in which he said Walker spoke at some length at the dinner, even though "all of the hullabaloo went to Giuliani," but in light of the upcoming primaries, Walker's "pointed comments about policy and politicians are not to be missed.
The dinner was backed by billionaire grocer John Catsimatidis and sponsored by a new group, the Committee to Unleash American Prosperity, founded by Kudlow, Arthur Laffer, Steve Moore, and Steve Forbes.
Giuliani said he has gotten supportive calls from Catsimatidis, who the ex-mayor says told him he was saying what was on other people's minds, and from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, another potential GOP candidate for 2016.
Meanwhile, Giuliani insisted he is not running for president in 2016, but told CNN he made the comments because he was disgusted by Obama and his response to the murders of Egyptian Coptic Christians at the hands of ISIS, and the response to last month's attacks in Paris.
Obama should have held a press conference to immediately denounce the acts, much as he did after the racial unrest in Ferguson, Mo.
"There's something wrong with the rhetoric here," Giuliani said. "I think the President is a very poor leader," complaining Obama doesn't compare to past presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, or Bill Clinton.
Further, Giuliani said the White House should apologize to him after claiming he made similar remarks about Obama back in the 2008 campaign.
But it appears he'll be waiting for that apology.
"I can tell you that it's sad to see when somebody who has attained a certain level of public stature, and even admiration, tarnishes that legacy so thoroughly," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Friday. "And the truth is, I don't take any joy, or vindication, or satisfaction from that. I think, really, the only thing that I feel is I feel sorry for Rudy Giuliani today."
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