‘Go to another country.’ Rudy Giuliani critical of Eminem kneeling during Super Bowl

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani suggested Eminem should move to a different country after the rapper took a knee during his Super Bowl halftime performance.

Eminem’s kneeling took place after he performed his song “Lose Yourself,” but he has not commented on why he kneeled. The gesture has become controversial in the NFL, beginning when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee during the national anthem of games as a protest against racial discrimination.

Despite Eminem’s kneeling take place during one of his songs and not the national anthem, Giuliani did not take kindly to the act.

“Let’s get right to Eminem taking a knee,” Giuliani said during his radio show on Monday, Feb. 14. “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?”

The halftime show featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, Anderson Paak and Eminem. Many have deemed it as one of the Super Bowl’s most iconic halftime shows, while others, Giuliani included, said some of the performers did not belong on the stage.

A spokesperson for the NFL said the league was aware Eminem was going to take a knee during the show and that the rapper made the gesture during multiple rehearsals, ESPN reported.

In referencing the league allowing the gesture, Giuliani said the NFL “made a mockery of law enforcement.”

Dr. Dre said in an interview with TMZ that Eminem took a knee on his own and that he had no issue with it.