If you thought you didn’t have to ever hear from Rudy Giuliani ever again, you were in for a rude awakening on Thursday when the former New York City mayor and Trump lackey appeared on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast to discuss Rush Limbaugh. As part of the discussion, he referenced a round of golf he had played with the now-deceased conservative talk show host and LPGA golfer Michelle Wie. Specifically, he told a particularly off-putting anecdote about Wie’s looks and her putting stance.
“On the green is Michele Wie, and she is getting ready to putt,” Giuliani said, in part. “Now Michelle Wie is gorgeous. She’s 6 feet. And she has a strange putting stance. She bends all the way over. And her panties show. And the press was going crazy. … I said ‘[Rush], it’s not me, it’s not you.'”
When Giuliani ended the story by asking if it was OK to “tell that joke,” Bannon awkwardly replied, “We already told it, so I don’t know.”
It’s unclear what the “joke” was in the story.
Wie, an accomplished golfer who was the youngest golfer to qualify for an LPGA Tour event and won the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, responded to the comments on Twitter in a thoughtful manner that underlined the grossness and callousness of Guiliani’s sexism.
— Michelle Wie (@MichelleWieWest) February 20, 2021
“It’s unsettling to hear of this highly inappropriate story shared on a podcast by a public figure referencing my “panties” whilst playing in a charity pro-am. What this person should have remembered from that day was the fact that I shot 64 and beat every male golfer in the field leading our team to victory. I shudder thinking that he was smiling to my face and complimenting me on my game while objectifying me and referencing my “panties” behind my back all day.
“What should be discussed is the elite skill level that women play at, not what we wear or look like.
“My putting stance six years ago was designed to improve my putting stats (I ended up winning the U.S. Open that year), NOT an invitation to look up my skirt!
“Nike makes skirts with SHORTS built in underneath for this exact reason….so that women can feel CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE playing a game that we love.”
The USGA retweeted Wie’s comments, adding that “sexism has no place in golf or life.”
Sexism has no place in golf or life. We are always in your corner, @MichelleWieWest https://t.co/4uYVvNK59E
— USGA (@USGA) February 20, 2021
We can hope our best that we don’t have to hear anything that Rudy Guiliani has to say anymore, especially when it comes to his “jokes” and witty banter.
