New York gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani has been barred from participating in person in the Monday GOP primary debate for refusing to provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Giuliani revealed the ban from the event to be held at WCBS-TV in a letter to the station’s general manager, Johnny Green, Jr.
Below is my letter to CBS regarding their decision to exclude me from debating in person.
I will be hosting a press conference today at 11am in front of WCBS studios to discuss further. pic.twitter.com/hUICeHHqW0
— Andrew H. Giuliani (@AndrewHGiuliani) June 12, 2022
When asked by @WCBSTV if I would hand over my vaccination papers, I told them I would not comply bc:
a) as a protection of privacy, I should never be forced to show any health records
b) I did not get the shot
c) @CBSNews has railed against Voter ID (hypocrites)
— Andrew H. Giuliani (@AndrewHGiuliani) June 13, 2022
According to The Daily Wire:
“While [your rules] will disrupt Monday’s debate, the true injustice is that policies such as these have deprived front-line heroes such as firefighters, police and healthcare workers of employment and benefits,” the letter read.
“I have offered to go above and beyond your requirement of producing a photo containing the results of a home antigen test in favor of taking a higher-quality PCR in order to face my primary opponents,” he shared in his letter to the station.
On Sunday, Giuliani held a press conference to address the controversy, claiming debate officials initially told him that he only needed to take a test on the day of the debate. He was then told he had to provide proof of vaccination, Giuliani said.
“I told them I would not do that,” he said. “I don’t think that’s something that even someone who has chosen to get the shot should have to do, from a constitutional standpoint.”
Giuliani will have to participate in the debate remotely. He faces fierce competition from Republican Lee Zeldin, however, in recent weeks Giuliani has surged in polls to make the odds razor-thin.
