Rudy Giuliani sues Biden for defamation over 'Russian pawn' comments

Former New York City Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday announced that he was suing President Joe Biden for defamation over claims he was a "Russian pawn."

In 2020, Biden suggested during a debate with former President Donald Trump that "[Giuliani] is being used as a Russian pawn, he is being fed information that is Russian that is not true," according to the Daily Mail. Biden further pointed to the explosive revelations in his son's laptop, saying "Nobody believes it except... [Trump's] good friend Rudy Giuliani." The contents of the laptop have since been verified. 

Giuliani brought the suit in New Hampshire, a state with more permissive defamation laws. He did not specify how much he sought in damages but suggested the number could be a seven-figure sum.

At the press conference, he also fielded questions related to a recent New York Times report alleging he has a drinking problem. The former mayor denied any problematic relationship with alcohol and insisted that such a condition would have prevented his political accomplishments.

"If I had an alcohol problem, and I could do all of that, I should be in the Guinness Book of Records," he said.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.