Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani admitted he was wrong when he’d said Hillary Clinton falsely claimed she was at Ground Zero on 9/11, after the internet bombarded him with images showing the two surveying the damage together a day later.
Giuliani told The Associated Press that he made a mistake when he erroneously told the crowd Wednesday at a Donald Trump rally in Ocala, Florida that Clinton had claimed to be in New York City on the day of the attacks and that he did not remember seeing her.
“I made a mistake. I’m wrong and I apologize,” Giuliani told The Associated Press.
Clinton has never claimed to have been in New York on 9/11, instead repeatedly telling the story of being in Washington, D.C. and then traveling back to New York City the next day. Still, Giuliani peddled the false story to the rally.
“Don’t tell me, if you said that, that you remember Sept. 11, 2001,” he said. “I remember Sept. 11, 2001. Yes, yes, you helped to get benefits for the people that were injured that day. But I heard her say one day she was there that day. I was there that day. I don’t remember seeing Hillary Clinton there.”
Giuliani told the AP that he thought he heard Clinton claim to be in the city on that day during the most recent presidential debate, but then reviewed the transcript and found he was wrong.
Following the rally, people began tweeting photos of the former mayor and then- Sen. Clinton surveying the damage together on Sept. 12, 2001:
Giuliani, implying Clinton didn’t care about 9/11. “I was there. I don’t remember seeing Hillary Clinton.”
DUDE, SHE’S RIGHT THERE… pic.twitter.com/bXbbCMhVBI— Joanne Harris (@Joannechocolat) October 12, 2016
“I don’t remember seeing Hillary Clinton” on 9/11 – Rudy Giuliani, just now. Look to your left, Rudy. pic.twitter.com/zJbVFMDhuf
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) October 12, 2016
When he was told of the backlash he was receiving online, he had this to say.
“I probably deserve it,” he told the Associated Press.
