Rudy Giuliani says Eminem should leave the US for taking a knee at the Super Bowl halftime show
Rudy Giuliani expressed his disapproval of rapper Eminem taking a knee at the Super Bowl.
"Why doesn't he go to another country? I mean, go take a knee someplace else," Giuliani said.
Eminem was seen dropping to one knee on stage, similar to a 2016 protest by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Trump ally and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani slammed Eminem for taking a knee while performing at the Super Bowl halftime show, and suggested that the rapper leave the US because of the move.
"Let's get right to Eminem taking a knee," Giuliani said during his radio program, "The Rudy Giuliani Show," on Monday. "Why doesn't he go to another country? I mean, go take a knee someplace else. You know how many cops were defending him and protecting him at that game yesterday?"
Giuliani added that the NFL has "made a mockery of law enforcement" by allowing Eminem to take a knee. Giuliani also criticized the NFL for including Snoop Dogg in the halftime show, referring to the rapper as "Snoop 'Kill Police' Doggy Dogg."
On Monday, Eminem dropped to one knee after performing "Lose Yourself" at the SoFi Stadium. Multiple media outlets interpreted the rapper's act as paying tribute to former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who famously protested against police brutality by kneeling on the pitch in 2016 during the national anthem.
Since then, taking a knee has been associated with demonstrating against police brutality and racism.
—The Recount (@therecount) February 14, 2022
Dr. Dre, who performed with Eminem, told TMZ that changes were made to the halftime program before the show — including removing one of Kendrick Lamar's rap lines — but the NFL had no objections to Eminem kneeling during the performance.
"There were a few things that changed, but it was like, really minor things," Dr. Dre said. "Em taking a knee, that was Em doing that on his own. And, there was no problem with that."
An NFL representative told Insider that it was aware that Eminem would kneel during his performance.
Separately, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA Today, "A player or coach could have taken a knee, and there would have been no repercussions, so there was no reason to tell an artist she or he could not do so."
"We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that," McCarthy said to the Associated Press in another statement.
Representatives for Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and the NFL did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.
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