Rudy Giuliani sparked controversy with his recent remarks attributing the rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the New York City tri-state area to communist states receiving seismic activity. During his America’s Mayor Live show on Friday, Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and close ally of Donald Trump, suggested that the earthquake might be a message from someone, stating, “the communist states are getting earthquakes.”
The earthquake, which occurred at 10:23 a.m. ET near Whitehouse Station in New Jersey prompted Giuliani to speculate further, particularly noting the lack of seismic activity in certain states. He quipped, “We were in the communist state of New York, and then we were in Connecticut… which is telling me that somebody’s sending us a message.”
Despite Giuliani’s attempts to inject humor into his comments, he anticipated backlash, preemptively dismissing potential criticism as the product of humorless “Marxist automatons.” The earthquake was felt across several states, including Connecticut, where an aftershock was reported.
Rudy Giuliani (Credits: CNN)
Giuliani’s remarks, shared widely on social media, drew attention not only for their content but also for the broader context of political polarization. Notably, the affected states are predominantly blue states governed by Democrats, except for New Hampshire, which has a Republican governor.
The controversy escalated when Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene echoed Giuliani’s sentiments, attributing the earthquake to divine intervention, and urging repentance from Americans. However, experts, including U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) seismologist Paul Earle, emphasized that there is no scientific basis for such claims, dispelling any connection between the earthquake and celestial events like the upcoming solar eclipse.
While Giuliani’s remarks garnered attention, they also sparked ridicule, particularly given the proximity of the earthquake’s epicenter to one of Trump’s golf courses. Social media users seized the opportunity to mock the former president, linking the earthquake to his purported business ventures, such as selling Bibles.
Giuliani’s comments regarding the earthquake’s supposed message and divine intervention stirred controversy and highlighted the broader divisions in American politics. Despite attempts at humor, the episode underscores the challenges of navigating political discourse in an increasingly polarized climate.
