Internet reacts to Andrew Giuliani launching run for New York governor

Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, has announced that he will run for governor of New York in 2022.

Twitter users widely mocked the move, with one account holder writing: “I just walked outside in [Illinois] and I swear I can hear the people from New York laughing as they hear Andrew Giuliani is running for Governor!!”

“I’m a politician out of the womb. It’s in my DNA,” the 35-year-old Mr Giuliani told The New York Post.

Mr Giuliani will run in the Republican primary, and if he wins, looks likely to take on Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo. Mr Cuomo has remained in office despite being embroiled in scandals after numerous sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied, and investigations of his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Giuliani vs Cuomo. Holy smokes. It’s Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier. We can sell tickets at Madison Square Garden,” Mr Giuliani said referring to the 1971 boxing match.

Mr Giuliani spent the last four years working in former President Donald Trump’s White House and has never run for elected office before.

“My four years in the White House has prepared me for this moment,” he said. “It would be one of the epic showdowns in the state’s history,” he added to The Post, pitching his campaign as pro-business, pro-police, and pro-school choice.

Craig Calcaterra tweeted: “America’s hatred of royalty, really, only lasted for about five years in the late 18th century. We otherwise can’t get enough of that s***.”

“I know we can defeat Andrew Cuomo in 2022. I am going to be the 57th governor of New York,” Mr Giuliani said, seemingly confident about his chances despite that his home state hasn’t had a Republican governor since 2006, when George Pataki left the office.

But many New Yorkers who shared their opinions on Twitter on Tuesday were less than pleased, with one writing: “Andrew Giuliani is apparently announcing his run for Governor today. Because here in New York we haven’t suffered enough.”

Mr Giuliani was a professional golfer for five years after graduating from Duke University in 2009, with some social media users now telling him to stick to golf and stop using his famous name to get ahead.

“Andrew Giuliani should stick to golf. Riding on coattails with no experience will not get him the job. Besides, it’s not the kind of last name you want associated with a run,” one Twitter user opined.

“Between Donald Trump and now Andrew Giuliani, I’m getting really tired of people who have no business running for public office, running for public office,” another wrote.

Channelling Mr Trump’s affection for superlatives, Mr Giuliani told The Post: “I believe my dad was the greatest mayor ever in New York City, and maybe the United States of America.”

Dean Obeidallah tweeted: “Andrew Giuliani is running for Governor of NY for one reason: If he wins he will pardon Donald Trump for NY State crimes. Period.”

It was reported last week that New York prosecutors sent a subpoena to a private school in Manhattan attended by the grandchildren of Trump Organisation chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg as part of their ongoing investigation into former president Donald Trump.

The FBI recently raided Rudy Giuliani’s New York apartment as part of an investigation into his actions in Ukraine. The former federal prosecutor blasted the FBI’s actions, arguing that he was being framed because he served as former President Trump’s personal lawyer. Andrew Giuliani also slammed the FBI’s move.

Like Mr Trump, Andrew Giuliani also went after professional athletes who kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and take a stand for racial justice, calling the kneeling “disappointing” and “very sad”.

“They’re protesting. This is a war on our police,” he told The Post. “Sports is something that’s going to bring people together. Unfortunately, now it’s become a divisive topic.”