President Trump's newest attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, has been making the media rounds to defend his client's actions on just about everything. From a brewing controversy over payments to keep an alleged affair with an adult film star quiet, to the Trump administration's foreign policy agenda, here's a list of the more newsworthy things Giuliani has said in the past 24 hours:
North Korea detainees
Giuliani appeared to suggest that the North Koreans were inching closer to releasing three Americans currently detained overseas. While on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" Thursday morning, Giuliani mentioned that "we got Kim Jong Un impressed enough to be releasing three prisoners today."
It was not immediately clear whether Giuliani had confirmation that the U.S. citizens' release was imminent, and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday morning that, while "we think that that would be an incredible sign of goodwill, and certainly a great statement for the North Koreans to make ahead of the summit and the discussions," she could not make any "announcement" about the U.S. detainees. It's unclear whether Giuliani has any security clearance to have access to any available information about detainees.
James Comey
During his interview with Fox and Friends on Thursday, Giuliani claimed that former FBI Director James Comey was fired because he "would not -- among other things -- say that [Mr. Trump] wasn't a target" of the Russia investigation.
"Hillary Clinton got that and he couldn't get that. He fired him and he said I'm free of this guy," added Giuliani.
Mr. Trump initially cited the FBI director's handling of the probe into Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's emails as grounds for Comey's termination. He later told NBC's Lester Holt that he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he fired Comey. Giuliani said Mr. Trump did the Holt interview "to explain to the American people the president was not the target of the investigation."
Meanwhile, when Fox's Hannity asked Giuliani to comment on Comey's assessment that Hillary Clinton "deeply respects the rule of law," Giuliani called the former FBI director a "very perverted man."
Michael Cohen
Last month aboard Air Force One, Mr. Trump denied that he was aware of Cohen's $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. But for the first time Wednesday night, Giuliani said Mr. Trump reimbursed Cohen for the payment.
Here's what Giuliani said in the exchange:
GIIULIANI: That money was not campaign money, sorry. I'm giving you a fact that you don't know. It's not campaign money. No campaign finance violation.
HANNITY: They funneled it through a law firm.
GIULIANI: They funneled it through a law firm and the president repaid it.
HANNITY: Oh, I didn't know that he did.
GIULIANI: Yep.
Stormtroopers
When explaining that the $130,000 payment to Michael Cohen was not a campaign finance violation, he suggested that such a violation would typically result in a fine and not "big stormtroopers coming in and breaking down his apartment and breaking down his office." The line was in reference to an FBI raid on Cohen's resident and office in Manhattan during which they seized materials and documents including content related to his payments to Stormy Daniels.
He made similar claims to The Daily Beast when denying reports by NBC News that Cohen had been allegedly wiretapped by federal authorities. "Anybody who says that I'm exaggerating when I say that this is an out-of-control investigation and they're acting like storm troopers -- give me a break, baby! They prove it every day," exclaimed Giuliani.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump
Giuliani praised Mr. Trump's eldest daughter on Hannity Wednesday evening, calling her "one of the nicest human beings you're ever going to meet." When asked about the possibility of Ivanka being subject to an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Giuliani called the idea "outrageous."
"I would get on my charger and go right into their offices with a lance ... if they do, do Ivanka, which I doubt they do, the whole country will turn on them," added Giuliani.
As for Ivanka's husband Jared, Giuliani said he was a "fine man" but noted, "men are disposable."
Rudy Giuliani's whirlwind 24 hours: The unusual comments he's made to the press
/ CBS News
President Trump's newest attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, has been making the media rounds to defend his client's actions on just about everything. From a brewing controversy over payments to keep an alleged affair with an adult film star quiet, to the Trump administration's foreign policy agenda, here's a list of the more newsworthy things Giuliani has said in the past 24 hours:
North Korea detainees
Giuliani appeared to suggest that the North Koreans were inching closer to releasing three Americans currently detained overseas. While on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" Thursday morning, Giuliani mentioned that "we got Kim Jong Un impressed enough to be releasing three prisoners today."
It was not immediately clear whether Giuliani had confirmation that the U.S. citizens' release was imminent, and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday morning that, while "we think that that would be an incredible sign of goodwill, and certainly a great statement for the North Koreans to make ahead of the summit and the discussions," she could not make any "announcement" about the U.S. detainees. It's unclear whether Giuliani has any security clearance to have access to any available information about detainees.
James Comey
During his interview with Fox and Friends on Thursday, Giuliani claimed that former FBI Director James Comey was fired because he "would not -- among other things -- say that [Mr. Trump] wasn't a target" of the Russia investigation.
"Hillary Clinton got that and he couldn't get that. He fired him and he said I'm free of this guy," added Giuliani.
Mr. Trump initially cited the FBI director's handling of the probe into Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's emails as grounds for Comey's termination. He later told NBC's Lester Holt that he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he fired Comey. Giuliani said Mr. Trump did the Holt interview "to explain to the American people the president was not the target of the investigation."
Meanwhile, when Fox's Hannity asked Giuliani to comment on Comey's assessment that Hillary Clinton "deeply respects the rule of law," Giuliani called the former FBI director a "very perverted man."
Michael Cohen
Last month aboard Air Force One, Mr. Trump denied that he was aware of Cohen's $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. But for the first time Wednesday night, Giuliani said Mr. Trump reimbursed Cohen for the payment.
Here's what Giuliani said in the exchange:
GIIULIANI: That money was not campaign money, sorry. I'm giving you a fact that you don't know. It's not campaign money. No campaign finance violation.
HANNITY: They funneled it through a law firm.
GIULIANI: They funneled it through a law firm and the president repaid it.
HANNITY: Oh, I didn't know that he did.
GIULIANI: Yep.
Stormtroopers
When explaining that the $130,000 payment to Michael Cohen was not a campaign finance violation, he suggested that such a violation would typically result in a fine and not "big stormtroopers coming in and breaking down his apartment and breaking down his office." The line was in reference to an FBI raid on Cohen's resident and office in Manhattan during which they seized materials and documents including content related to his payments to Stormy Daniels.
He made similar claims to The Daily Beast when denying reports by NBC News that Cohen had been allegedly wiretapped by federal authorities. "Anybody who says that I'm exaggerating when I say that this is an out-of-control investigation and they're acting like storm troopers -- give me a break, baby! They prove it every day," exclaimed Giuliani.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump
Giuliani praised Mr. Trump's eldest daughter on Hannity Wednesday evening, calling her "one of the nicest human beings you're ever going to meet." When asked about the possibility of Ivanka being subject to an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Giuliani called the idea "outrageous."
"I would get on my charger and go right into their offices with a lance ... if they do, do Ivanka, which I doubt they do, the whole country will turn on them," added Giuliani.
As for Ivanka's husband Jared, Giuliani said he was a "fine man" but noted, "men are disposable."
In:- Rudy Giuliani
- Sean Hannity
- James Comey
- Michael Cohen
- Donald Trump
- Stormy Daniels
- North Korea
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