Did Giuliani say his Moscow Trump Tower comments were "hypothetical" or "hysterical"?
1
Giuliani is Mueller's best friend/witness.
Giuilani is using trump's DEFCON scale. The trump DEFCON (Defense Legal Readiness Condition) Scale:
DEFCON 5: It’s all fake news. Listen to me, they are all liars.
DEFCON 4: It didn’t happen, I didn’t do it. They are lying.
DEFCON 3: I didn't know anything about it.
DEFCON 2: Even if I did, it’s not illegal. It’s a nothing burger.
DEFCON 1: So, I did it, it doesn’t matter. I’m president.
2
Guiliani needs to cross his arms awkwardly like trump does whenever he’s lying if he wants to catch up to Trump, the current president of the Liars Club.
At one time Cohen was characterized as perhaps the worst lawyer in America. It is now widely understood that he is clearly not lower than the second worst lawyer.
It’s so hard keeping my lies straight!
A responsible news organization would stop giving air time or column space to this guy. He sows confusion and we are less well-informed because of him.
This would be hilarious if it weren't so depressing. And, probably, dangerous. Dance, Rudy, dance.
Bill Clinton was impeached because of a consensual act of sex with an aid. Donald Trump has conducted more questionable acts. I wonder why the impeachment process hasn’t started yet.
All of Rudy's comments are 'hypothetical' - he is the volunteer TV Attorney for Trump, and his only role is to defend, deflect, mis-direct. He does not actually sit down with his 'client' and discuss any details, so therefore he knows none.
Why does anyone in the media bother interviewing him? He is guaranteed to not clarify any meaningful matter.
18
Ms. Haberman, the present-day Rudy Giuliani is the evil doppelganger of our New York City Mayor during 9/11/01. How could he have fallen so far? Easy answer, he is Donald Trump's personal lawyer and is dancing on cable news shows as fast as he can to keep the president out of jail. Confusion reigns when he speaks on "fake" TV. Trump's followers lap him up. They don't know from gaslighting. There may have been coordination between Trump and Putin re building his Moscow Trump Tower, the crown jewel in Trump's real estate empire? There may have been collusion (despite Trump's "No Collusion!" mumbo jumbo refrain at his 2020 rallies). We are appalled by the chaos and destruction of our democracy sown by Donald Trump. Is impeachment afoot for our 45th president (and is Rudy down for the count)?
Since he was retained by Trump, there has been a pattern of Giuliani walking back factual statements.
Presumably, unless Trump is mentally incompetent, Trump would have fired Giuliani the first time he had to walk back statements.
The fact that he hasn’t suggest that this is an intentional part of the strategy to desensitize us to the fact that Trump was negotiating with Russians during the campaign and lying about his ties.
The news media should stop playing along with this strategy.
2
Is it possible that President Trumps is so perspicacious that he's already planning an appeal based on inadequate representation???? Naw....
2
Hypothetical Suggestion: Giuliani should considering taking a motorcar holiday with Prince Philip in the English countryside.
1
Trump walks back every statement he has made on record. But at least, one would assume that his lawyer would be wise enough and make statements with a lot of wiggle-room. Thank God we have such bad Trump lawyers, Cohen and now Giuliani. Wittingly or unwittingly they come out with truths. Looks like Trump is incapable of finding even a good lawyer who can lie. Just like his loyals!
1
Since Rudy left the justice department in 1990 can anyone name one major client he has represented.
2
Giuliani's comments get more and more bizarre with each passing week.
He is either prevaricating outright according to his mood or the situation, or he is experiencing dementia.
1
Giuliani is a liar though not as good, or maybe as practiced, as Trump. Perhaps Giuliani is interning with Trump to learn how it's really done.
It's possible that Giuliani is striving to have his own list of lies published in the Washington Post. Let's see what happens.
1
Rudy's ability is somewhat hypothetical. Its really time for him to put his feet up and retire. Whatever respect he still has is evaporating.
1
I hired Giuliani to help me resolve a jaywalking charge and he managed to get it reduced to manslaughter! What a great attorney!
5
I am sick and tired to be submerged by Giuliani’s lies, walk back and hypotheses.
This man is just the extension of Trump and his nonexistent integrity.
Is there any limit to this indecency?
2
Why do reporters even interview these liars? They only want press exposure! Someone legally get their records from the phone company!!!!
2
It appears that Giuliani is suffering from an acute case of hypotheticalthermia, a condition in which someone retracts or changes his/her statements so often that it results in a dangerously low level of credibility.
3
Rudy has been doing this back and forth for a while now. At first, I tried to put myself in Trump’s shoes, only to conclude that Rudy is the LAST person I would want as my PR lawyer.
So why hasn’t Rudy given Trump the heave-ho? That’s even weirder than Rudy’s comments/retractions/walk backs. Either they are both idiots (well, that’s pretty much a given), or there is some weird but brilliant strategy going on. I kind of doubt that last remark. Rudy does make for great TV though.
1
Hypothetically, Giuliani always tells the truth.
2
YAY! Keep Rudy talking. The more he talks the deeper Trump's hole gets. When you are already in a hole, you stop digging!
1
Normally I would say to get rid of this guy. Any President with any degree of competency, respect, concern for the rule of law would have done so.
However, this case is different. Rudy G is serving a bigot, philanderer, admitted sexual predator, rabble rouser, de facto Russian spy, pathological liar, ego maniac demagogue in Trump.
Next to Trump, Rudy G's verbal summersaults look brilliant.
3
I believe Guiliani was one of the worst mayors in our history. From a personal point of view he chose to inform his first wife of their divorce through the TV media.
Publicly he was a bully.
With respects to 9/11 he chose to rush in for the cleanup without a plan. This ultimately put thousands at health risk for which we see the results of now. I realize that hindsight is 20/20 but he was supposed to be a leader that could swiftly and safely bring order and cleanup to the area.
If his legacy was to throw money and resources (people) at the clean up, then he succeeded, however he left the city with huge debt and many first responders in dangerous health.
His latest gig is to misdirect and misinform and while I personally believe he's lost it, he's doing a good job. He's muddied the waters to the point where we just shake our heads in disbelief.
4
There is nothing hypothetical in the trump quote he passed along that his Moscow tower negotiations were “going on from the day I announced to the day I won.”
I do have a feeling, though, growing stronger with each passing week, that Giuliani's college diploma and law degree are hypothetical.
1
Hypothetical = Fake news
The best way for the news media to deal with Trump and his various fake news mouthpieces is to not deal with him or them. Trump can't complain because he says they say nothing truthful.
So news media, give him what he wants and America needs, a continuing campaign to get the facts with true reporting of the news.
Trump and his minions chit-chat, hypothetical and make it up as you go along should be reported as, "Someone connected with the Trump administration or otherwise acting as its agent, said something about something, none of which could be independently verified and on its face seems improbable, or an out right distortion, lie or divisive. Therefore it does not meet standards making it neither true, newsworthy or valuable."
And then continue with, "And now back to the news."
Here is a first step: review all the contractors contributions to Trump. Identify those that will get part of the first $5 billion and many more billions to build the wall. Then report the facts to the American people.
Find out why the audit results of the Trump tax filings is being delayed because of the shutdown.
Report income/net worth of political-religious preachers,
how they buy jets, million dollar homes, etc.; where they stand on Jesus' statements to support the poor, the widows, the disabled, etc. and his call to measure how we are judged by how we treat the least among us.
Report everyday trump's statement, "I do not ask God's forgiveness. No need to!"
1
"Mr. Giuliani’s backpedaling was the latest in a series of conflicting comments he has made about the investigation ... " I recall Mr. Giuliani was brought in to help Mr. Trump. It reminds me of an old Beetle Bailey cartoon where Beetle has fallen over a cliff and is hanging by a small tree limb yelling "Help!" He looks up to see Zero peering over the cliff edge and yells "Other help!"
1
The entire Russian Trump Tower debacle is a simple "hedge" against losing the election. Mr. Trump really didn't expect to win, he figured he was never in a stronger position than as Candidate Trump to negotiate a favorable Trump Tower Moscow. So that is what he did.
The hedge wasn't necessary so it just evaporated AFTER November 2016.
Remember the cover-up is ALWAYS worse than the crime.
1
Never has it been a better time to be a comedian.
1
It would appear that Mr. Giuliani’s relationship with the truth is hypothetical, just like his three marriages.
1
Let's remember, no matter how incoherent and unethical and doddering and foolish Rudy is, every TV appearance is an advertisement to dictators and miscreants everywhere that Rudy is open for business to lie and obfuscate and provide "security consulting" services for them. No matter how foolish appears here--exception being the Fox/MAGA fold who eat up the lies and love the Mueller bashing-- tin pot dictators, nationalists, authoritarians and strongmen everywhere admire venality, conflicts of interests, and bald faced untruths told so effortlessly. Lying for liars is now Rudy's brand-- and he markets mendacity to an elite group for serious dollars. Yes, indeed, Rudy could not care less about his reputation because he has found that lying combined with proximity to the President pays bigly. Every non-sensical rant, every malicious statement about law enforcement and every "truth is not truth" cheer burnishes Rudy's image with his clients. His usefulness to Trump is actually secondary to him as it probably does not pay much. In fact, Rudy must consider Trump as a "loss leader" to bring in the big business of foreign and corrupt governments. Surprised that he is not paying Trump commission.
God knows what government secrets President Bonespurs tells Rudy and Rudy then passes on to his clients proving how "connected" he is. Disgusting. And this country continues to allow these sell outs to remain center stage.
When does this country say no mas?
3
Trump never had a deal with Russia because the Kremlin said “No Deal” to the Trump Tower Moscow proposal. Mueller investigators say the Tump Tower Moscow negotiations ended in June or early July 2016 at the latest. So Donald Trump was probably telling the truth in July 2016 when he said “I have nothing to do with Russia.” He also told the truth when he told Hillary Clinton during their second presidential debate in October 2016 that “I know about Russia, but I know nothing about the inner workings of Russia. I don’t deal there. I have no businesses there. I have no loans from Russia.”
Even the Washington Post admitted that “these remarks were defensible and even technically true—there was no ultimate deal, after all — but they were clear attempts to mislead.” When remarks are “defensible and technically true,” they are not lies.
Trump continue to pursue the Trump Tower Moscow project during the Republican primaries, but this violated no U.S. election laws. He now says he would have continued negotiations right up the moment the 2016 election results were announced if Russia had not denied the building permit. This would have violated no election law. Presidential candidates typically divest themselves during he presidential transition period
All I can think of is a revised version of the old saw "with friends like Guiliani, Trump needs no enemies."
Trump seems to have a plethora of lawyers who apparently know enough to keep their dealings with Trump quiet.
What is the point of having Giuliani around in the first place since most of what he says is always having to be explained.
1
Oh, how I wish both Giuliani and trump were "hypothetical." Then, to quote the late, great Louis Armstrong, "Oh, What A Wonderful World This Would Be."
2
"Not meant to convey facts" That is the quote from Giuliani about what he said in the interview. One can only take that two ways: 1) I told disastrous truths and want to erase what I said from reality, or 2) Everything I say is a willful, deliberate lie (including what I just said). Also, did you hear the one about Giuliani referring to tapes and recordings he's listened to (not previously known to exist) that exonerate Trump from everything?
1
Mr. Giuliani's absurdities indicate that he's failed to take his meds or, mistakenly, has imbibed those of another, possibly Mr, Trump's.
1
Trump would be better off with a court-appointed lawyer.
1
The Penguin and the Joker.
As usual, throwing their foul smelling distractions, their full of lies stuff, hitting the fan again and again...............
2
Hopefully everyone is clear on this now - Always put "hypothetically" after anything Rudy says.
For example if he said, "I'm a great lawyer!", just add "hypothetically" after it.
Or, "Donald Trump is completely innocent of any wrong-doing"... "hypothetically".
One can also put the word "hypothetically" in front of any statement of his, and reach the same conclusion.
I guess this is what happens when you are unable to hire any decent lawyers because they all know that, even if they win for you, you are going to weasel out of paying their fees.
1
I am not sure how much credibility/respect Giuliani had before, but wow, he certainly has none now. Such a sleazeball. How does he not get disbarred for all the lies and obfuscation? The worst caricature of a lawyer. Why does anyone want to associate with Trump? They all come off looking so bad and history will only make it worse.
1
I think we should regard Giuliani as "hypothetical." And "counterfactual" as well.
2
I strain to try and find an explanation for what happened to Rudy between his days of cleaning up New York and now. He and his career are not aging gracefully. Likely, he will probably be remembered more for this clown circus with Trump rather than his past deeds under more coherent circumstances. Apparently, Trump's cluelessness and his obvious affliction with logorrhea have become contagious.
1
I'm beginning to confuse Giuliani with Kellyanne Conway given his walk backs, hypothesizing, mendacious denials, and frequent misrepresentations. I guess I shouldn't expect more clarity from the president's personal lawyer than his PR shop.
3
How on earth can a paraphrase of what was said or meant, or even an attribution about same, be hypothetical????
Hypocritical certainly as it pertains to Trump. Hysterical yes that too. Hyperbolic also possible. And in Giuliani’s case without question Histrionic of course….but hypothetical?
Given this is Rudy vocalizing let’s go with another word that begins with H, ends in T, has 9 letters and is a colloquial synonym for recently digested oats!
"Nice family you have there. It would be shame if anything happened to it." DJT to Cohen
1
That Trump would continue to have Giuliani as his spokesman in spite of Giuliani's repeated missteps with obviously clumsy and inconsistent statements to the media only serves as further evidence of a disorganized and incompetent administration.
18
@PETER EBENSTEIN MD these arent missteps. This is a man trying his best to inure as many people as possible to the staggering malfeasance of Donald Trump.
5
This whole Giuliani-Trump thread started out as being amusing and typical for the principals in this comedy/drama: Lie, misdirect, obfuscate and counterattack. This latest item reflects to me how truly out of touch with reality Donald Trump is and all the more worrying. With all the potentially career ending legal problems for Trump and friends, the President has Rudy Giuliani running on at the mouth and out of control. Breathless narcissism, stupidity and arrogance all around. My fervent hope is that no major domestic or international crisis (the fatal outcome type) occurs on the watch of these complete fools.
18
There is no greater proof of Trump's poor judgement than his continuing use of incoherent gas bag Rudy Giuliani as his spokesman. How can Trump believe that Rudy's nonsensical blathering is helping him in any way? The two of them deserve each other, that's all I will say.
30
Based on his inability to assemble a coherent utterance or accurately locate his and his client’s actions in time and space, I’d suggest that not only Rudy Giuliani’s admission to the Bar, but also his driver’s license should be revoked.
22
@Grant I was thinking that Rudy has too much time in the bar.
1
God forbid that anything Giuliani says would convey facts.
8
Rudy lies - er, retracts - again. I know Donnie boy wants us to believe he doesn't order his lawyers to lie, but Rudy is almost daily proving that the opposite is the case.
12
SO glad the world is now seeing what a nefarious character charlatan Giuliani is - and has always been. He was NEVER “America’s Mayor.” He was always an arrogant autocrat who “ran” NY like his client “runs” America. It is enormously satisfying to watch his self immolation. If only it didn’t come at the cost of the Republic.
15
Hypothetical
Hypocritical
Hysterical
Hilarious
But still horrendous
It’s my country, too, Rudy. Steering the ship of state towards the rocks is no way to stop a mutiny. That would be MAD.
12
I wonder how Rudy will react when Trump stiffs him for his promised fees....
12
@NYCSandi
I don’t think he is doing this for the fee. I think he has aligned himself with Trump for the perceived status and will do anything to hang onto that falsely lofty position. What the lie-tellers or lie-supporters for Trump fail to understand is that the stench of their complicity will never wash away. Sarah Sanders comes to mind.
2
This country is in a high state of befuddlement and Putin is singing in the shower and laughing at breakfast every morning.
The Idiot King, Worm Tongue Rudy, various Court Jesters, The Evil Tortoise, Mitch...the whole thing has progressed from ridiculous to surreal.
The only light-hearted thing about El Chapo's trial are the guffaws about how secure a wall would be; the drug kingpin made hundreds of millions tunneling under the border.
Further, there are tremendous expanses of border that are in private hands that would never allow the construction. This whole thing is beyond stupid and I fear we will never exorcise this idiocy, not completely. It's a national trauma of an magnitude absolutely unsuspected and unprepared for.
15
The former Mayor of New York knows exactly what he is doing.
He is getting ready for the day when he needs to change the chant of the grifter in chief's supporters from "Four legs good, two legs bad" to "Four legs good, two legs better".
7
What on earth is wrong with Giuliani that he cannot keep his mouth shut?
7
Anyone else, aside from me, see the striking resemblance between Giuliani and the subject of the Edvard Munch painting "The Scream"?
9
"America's Mayor"? More like America's Quisling. How pathetic that a person's desperation for attention would lead them to become public fools like this guy?
8
Mr. Giuliani has lost his mind.
5
Giuliani is so much like Trump it's scary. He simply parrots what Trump says. The problem is that Giuliani lies just as easily and frequently as Trump. He's become another Trump Junior.
10
This "explanation" from a lawyer who has said "truth is not truth". Trump and Rudy deserve each other. I would not want Rudy to help with a traffic ticket.
11
Hypothetical words from a hypothetical attorney? Next he'll tell us that he was never Trump's attorney, just somebody who hung around the Oval office. The question I have is how much longer Giuliani will be "Trump's attorney"? My guess is: out by March.
7
Day after day Guliani gives public testimony about what happened between trump and Russia. Since he knows so much, he should be hauled before Congress and testify under oath. His public statements vitiate any claim of attorney client privilege. On the other hand, if everything he says is "hypothetical" why are they given any attention?
6
It's not a perfect world for sure. In a perfect world we would not be subjected to the nonsense that passes from Rudolph Giuliani's mouth every time he comes on TV.
We would not be subjected to the oftentimes stupidly written and juvenile Tweets that come from Donald Trump at 4 in the morning and re-broadcast around the world by the media.
We would not have a government that was capriciously shut down for no good reason.
Nor would we have leaders who turn their collective backs on science in full denial of climate change that is affecting our home planet and getting worse with each passing day.
In a perfect world we would still be the beacon of freedom welcoming the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
7
Mr. Guiliani has covered every base for Donald Trump. I suspect it is so that when the truth is finally revealed, Mr. Trump can gleefully say to the surrounding cameras. "See? We said that!"
Meanwhile, Guiliani has lost whatever respect and credibility he might have had.
5
Media hungry lawyers are not good lawyers. He simply needs to stop talking to media for no reason other than to hear his own voice.
7
Rudy makes Trumps case for inadequate legal representation. He speaks like a carnival barker, lots of sound but no meaning and if he accidently produces a complete sentence he has to retract it. Listening to him for more than the second time is a waste since it all boils down to nonsense.
3
Why are we giving this guy air?? AT BEST hes been telling lies about something he has no first hand knowledge of. What value does that bring??
4
Why is Giuliani even news anymore? Whatever credibility he may have had years ago has been spent many times over. He has about as much credibility as Sarah Sanders, so stop wasting print on this guy and save it for when Trump's impeached.
7
What about his license to practice law? Is that merely a hypothetical bona fide to lend hypothetical gravitas to the hypothetical comments he makes?
1
Giuliani was never NYC mayor. It was just Hypothetical.
5
I didn't know that congenital lying was contagious.
6
Giuliani's intelligence is also "hypothetical"!
5
Can't remember. Hypothetical. Misspoke. Alternative facts.
All from the highest office in the land.
5
Since any relationship between Giuliani's word and fact is entirely accidental, it is time to stop reporting his statements.
2
Jules' whole life is hypothetical.
2
Given the disinformation provided by Mr. Giuliani, why does the NYT cover his comments? He may be Trump's personal lawyer, but no facts can be expected from his comments. Same for Conway, Sanders, etc. What can anyone learn when nothing from them can be considered genuine? How does this help your readers or the public at large?
4
What is Giuliani being hypothetical about? Himself? Well, he does exist, so no need to hypothesize there. Anyway, that's my hypothesis.
1
With friends like this, who need enemies?
1
Guiliani’s integrity and ethics are hypothetical.
3
Memo to the New York Times and all other print and electronic media: Please stop reporting on Rudy Giuliani. He has nothing meaningful to add to anything. It has been suggested that he is "losing it" and/or has a drinking problem. If either is true, he should get professional help, but the fact is it doesn't matter what the reason is. His utterances are nonsense. Putting him on the front page of important newspapers and allowing him to appear on serious news broadcasts debase the outlets themselves, make a mockery of the news business, and gives him the public platform he so desperately wants. Ignore him, please!
4
Since Trump's loyalists, including Rudy, are trying ''spaghetti on the wall'' approach to cover up Trump's shortcomings, an average listener might do well if he or she tries and observes an abstemious diet, for an easy digestion, because what the Trump's side kicks are offering are increasingly becoming more and more indigestible. In particular, Rudy has been singularly strident in his defense of Trump's innocence, by presenting an unpalatable blather.
Rudy, once crowned as ''America's mayor'', after 9/11, has now chosen the path of an obnoxiously obsequious stooge of an immensely questionable Trump, with regards to his alleged, but yet to be proven, collusion with the Russians. On many a national TV show, Rudy has endeavored to offer his recondite renditions of law, as it suits his client's dastardly defense. Every answer of his seemed to resemble a dithyramb. He creates, quite possibly, an alluvion of fairly negative responses from many observers.
When the country is, essentially, at a political peripeteia, Trump seems to be protected by his infamous praetorian guards, at all costs. Waiting and watching is the only way to see things unravel at some speed.
1
Giuliai's "hypothetically " reminds me of OJ's "If I Did It".
3
Giuliani - no doubt with Mr. Trump's approval - is simply trying to muddy the water as much as it can possibly be muddied in attempts to make the truth unattainable. But the truth is out there, and Bobby Three Sticks will find it. It's also diversionary. If there is news about Russia that is bad for Trump, then Giuliani say something outrageous about Trumps sexual escapades. If there is negative news about Trump's payments to silence women he had sex with while Melania was at home with a baby then Giuliani will come out with outrageous statements about Russia. Truth will out.
19
It's time to stop reporting what Rudy Giuliani says. His words have become nothing but confetti thrown into the news to distract us and prettify the ugly reality that is Donald Trump. They are no more than shiny litter left to be swept into the gutter. And worse, he is no longer interesting, entertaining or important.
99
@Ivan W - Amen. Likewise Sarah Sanders, who I don't think has yet to utter a truth nor anything of importance. What a festival of fools we have.
10
@Ivan W Hear, hear Ivan W! Well said.
4
@Ivan W
Couldn't agree with you more.
It's such a pity that someone who was once respected has now been reduced to just another Clever Hans (though not so clever) who paws the ground at the behest of his self-centered, psychotic trainer.
3
It's obvious now why Trump and Rudy get along so well. Neither of them can remember what they said yesterday.
37
I wonder what he is being paid to do this to himself?
7
@magicisnotreal
it is pretty clear all that moral indignation he had in the 90's as Mayor was fake or no longer exists for some reason.
1
Giuliani had his best days long ago.
He just like to be in the spotlight, pontificating senselessly.
He’s waist high in old age. Everyone can see it.
12
hypothetical??? how about hypocritical????
16
What's the point of continuing to report on Giuliani? Yes, he's one of the president's lawyers but he either has no idea what he's talking about (unlikely) or he is intentionally sowing confusion. Reporting that only helps him achieve his goal. Let him put out press releases that can are mostly ignored.
Also, will the 70-year-old+ white men in this country ever get out of the way? They're sucking up all of the oxygen they can, holding onto all the power they can, demanding all of the attention they can get. They will be known as the most selfish generation.
24
" Hypocritical ". There, fixed it for you.
Go away, Rudy. Seriously.
27
Trump's choice of "personal lawyers" such as Cohen or Giuliani, does indicate something about Trump's ability to evaluate assistants who can carry out his policies, or not. We see the same ineptitude in Trump's choices of Cabinet chiefs or campaign chiefs, etc. etc. Any other CEO with such a bad track record of appointments would have already been fired by his company's board of directors. The Congress is the Board of Directors for our Government. But our current "Board" has been derelict in its oversight function and allowed the current CEO (aka POTUS) to exert powers and make decisions that are bad for our government and for the People who are the "stockholders" of this government.
60
Everyone is focused on Giuliani's silliness and embarrassing antics. Good for a chuckle, but we are being misdirected. The timeline of when Trump engaged or disengaged with Russia regarding doing business in Moscow is not at issue. We all know he lied to about his dealings in Russia; but is it relevant?
Rudy's statement "the only crime you could commit here, conspired with the Russians to hack".
The issue that should be the focus is whether Russia interfered with the US election with Trump's knowledge actual or imputed or at Trump's request. We do know that there was collusion to impede Special Counsel's investigation by directing Jr.'s testimony.
Let's keep our eye on the ball: did Trump engage actively or passively with a foreign government to affect a US election?
12
@Zev actively. Youve seen the video.
1
Some of us ignore Trump and Trump's minions on the theory that every word out of their mouths is a lie.
1
Clinton has been investigated over and over for years, nothing. Trump is investigated for two years and one needs a playlist to keep track of convictions. Now we have Trump's lawyers trying to throw up smoke screens and mud to try to protect Trump.
13
If only Rudy were hypothetical. One can dream, can’t one?
4
When a used car salesman lies, that is simply a dishonorable human being. When a politician lies that is propaganda, a crime against democracy.
3
The United States is on a downward spiral that it might not ever recover from if liar Trump and his crazy cohorts aren't removed from government fast.
15
Either there exists textual or audio evidence of the
conversations, or there doesn't. If so, then either
Mueller knows about it or not yet, and we must all be
patient. If not, then it doesn't
matter one iota what someone says in public. The trumpicans
in the Senate would shrug it all off as hearsay, unworthy of attention.
The varying pronouncements of individual 1's lawyer have
the same flavor of programmed chaos that his client's modus
operandi exploits. You say one thing, then you modify it by
saying another thing, and then repeat (ad nauseam). So, you generate media buzz, you create narratives that have short
half lives but generate instant attention. You do this
like a puppeteer stringing along your media puppets at will.
Is there any actual point to the farce other than "I create media buzz, therefore I exist"?
7
Giuliani's walk back was high-pathetical.
15
What can you expect from the creator of the famous quote, "Truth isn't truth".
Giuliani wasn't always like this. As a US attorney he fought organized crime in metro NY. In the 1994 gubernatorial election as NYC's mayor Giuliani, as a republican, defied his party and endorsed Mario Cuomo over republican George Pataki.
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/25/nyregion/1994-campaign-mayor-giuliani-defying-his-party-backs-cuomo-for-4th-term-sees.html
Giuliani saw Pataki as a lieutenant of D'amato who had connections with organized crime.
https://nypost.com/2013/03/27/damato-mob-pic-emerges-in-brooklyn-court-at-slay-trial/
3
Rudolph Giuliani gained his initial fame by pursuing and convicting members of the Mafia.
He is now channeling his inner "Bruce Cutler" (John Gotti's defense attorney) by making false and misleading statement in a vain attempt to deflect his client's (dumb and possible criminal) misdeeds.
One wonders how Giuliani would act and talk if he was in the Justice Department or a member of Mueller's team? Would he then state that "The truth isn't the truth"?
2
Rudy Giuliani has become one of Mueller's best resources for understanding precisely how Trump managed to obstruct justice in many different ways. What a tool.....
9
Giuliani is rapidly flushing what dignity he had accumulated over the course of his career down the toilet. To go from being a famous mob-buster in the 1980's to a pathetic, incoherent mob mouthpiece in 2019 is just sad.
9
hypothetical? buy him a dictionary.
3
It’s hard to understand what role Giuliani is playing in the bizarre world of the Trump administration.
Maybe he is simply trying to muddy the waters, keep the confusion going and, somehow, eventually, gain something from his inane comments.
On the other hand, maybe he just doesn’t get it and thinks what he is saying makes sense and is helpful to Trump.
Who can say!
14
"President Trump’s personal lawyer on Monday walked back the timeline he had offered a day earlier on when negotiations ended with Russian officials about a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow, calling his comments “hypothetical” and not intended to convey facts."
Well that's nothing new. Giuliani never intends to convey facts.
7
A textbook case of foot-in-mouth disease. The indicated treatment is bingo, pickleball and glasses with little umbrellas in them in some sunny clime. Then verbal pratfalls won't matter any more. They will be greeted with "That's just Rudy."
5
Rudy Giuliani was asked if he was worried that lying for the president could be his legacy.
“Absolutely. I am afraid it will be on my gravestone."
"Somehow, I don’t think that will be it. But, if it is, so what do I care?
I’ll be dead. I figure I can explain it to St. Peter.”
How can we the American voters allow the President of the United States' attorney to get away with such an outrageous statement?
12
Who needs enemies when you have lawyers like Giuliani and Cohen? My only question is, are these lawyers intrinsically prone to lying and double-speak, or do they take their cues from Trump, the king of lying and double-speak?
5
He feels untouchable so he's willing to make any statement now. Should be interesting if he actually starts admitting to crimes in public.
1
On a similar note, Trump is a hypothetical president.
13
I hope Rudy lives forever. I can never get tired watching a man degrade and humiliate himself the way Rudy does.
5
Now Rudy is saying this will be on his gravestone “Rudy Giuliani: He lied for Trump”. Then he says, but what do I care, I’ll be dead.
New York State needs to disbar him. He just admitted to lying for the president.
15
Giuliani ability to tell the truth is hypothetical.
4
Giuliani is not acting in the capacity of Trump’s lawyer when he makes these statements. So why does the Times continue to refer to him as his personal lawyer? I suppose some deference should be shown to a person’s own job description, but in fact Giuliani is not part of Trump’s legal team. It’s possible Giuliani is retained by somebody as their lawyer but he isn’t Trump’s lawyer. Wouldn’t “White House TV spokesman”, “White House TV personality” or “better liar than Kelly Ann Conway” be a more a appropriate and accurate job description of his current employment than “personal lawyer”? Why continue to maintain Trump’s fig leafs of fiction, fraud and deceit?
2
I would say The Trump cabal should put a muzzle on poor Rudy, but his comedic value is inestimable.
2
Rudy cut a bargain with the Devil Trump in order to remain “relevant” in his 74th year. But, for whatever reason(s), Rudy’s ramblings and prevarications show him to be anything but. His legacy as “America’s Mayor” long since forgotten or certainly tarnished beyond all recognition, Rudy should retain some shred of dignity by cutting ties with America’s Worst President and slinking off the front pages. His contribution in keeping the bloated S.S. Trump afloat amounts to a fool’s errand, with Rudy slated to go down with the ship.
7
"Giuliani Says His Moscow Trump Tower Comments Were ‘Hypothetical’"
Sure, Rudy. The "whatever sticks" rule of representing a client.
How about you stay off of media until you can state something that's "true" (look it up) and that isn't hypothetical.
4
One can imagine the plea Giulianai would enter on behalf of Trump.
Probably go like this:
"Your honor, my client pleads stupidity -- he hired me."
4
His prison cell won't be hypothetical.
6
Why is anything this man says published in the newspaper? Much like his employer, he has demonstrated that he has no understanding of "truth" or "facts" or " honesty." There is no information content in his babbling. Move him to the entertainment section please.
5
It's called an "admission against interest", Rudy. Think waaaaay back to your Evidence 101 and Trial Practice courses. Maybe it's time to retire, ya think?
3
We already knew Rudy had gone crazy.
But it's ridiculous at this point. Much like many news outlets have stopped talking with or reporting on Kellyanne Conway because of her propensity to deploy "alternative facts," news organizations should now stop talking with Rudy. By his own admission, he regularly makes remarks in which he has no intention of conveying facts at all. This makes him little more than a gossip, and real journalists should ignore him.
53
@Mr. Mark
When Giuliani makes a claim and then retracts the claim by saying that he hasn't spoken with Trump about that claim, he negates the only reason for his being interviewed.
5
This is hardly news, since none of Giuliani's statements - or Trump's, for that matter - are intended to convey actual facts.
Not that he was ever great, but this guy had history bestowed upon him by happening to be mayor during 9/11. The extent to which he has turned himself into a bad joke is amazing.
23
I'll go ahead and treat anything Giuliani says in the future as hypothetical. Trump too. Their word has no value now.
26
If Trump can't recall if he talked to his personal lawyer about building a skyscaper with his nsme on it in Moscow after he won the election, I've got a casino in Atlantic city named Taj Mahal I can sell you.
14
Giuliani doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. He admits he hasn't spoken to the President about most of what he says. It is beyond my comprehension WHAT Giuliani's job is except to act the fool & distract from the true facts.
23
@Cally
He has become the Court Jester.
I don’t think he realizes it.
8
Let's just say that Trump is looking for the least well suited, the most likely to run his mouth when he's in front of a camera, the blatantly most self promoting shill in town. Let's, for a second, consider that the G-man is slipping into dementia while still aware of his diamond pinky ring and good teeth. This is, of course, hypothetical. I just hope that he is kept on Trump's payroll. I find him entertaining.
5
“President Trump’s personal lawyer on Monday walked back the timeline...”
Here we see President Trump in action, testing various semi-plausible renditions of the truth to see if the story, as put forth, can gain traction. If it doesn’t, Giuliani tries another theory later on.
And throughout, Trump, lies and dodges, hoping his lies become so ingrained that his base, and the rest of the population eventually accept, believe, and move on.
11
from CNN reporting today on Trump/Russia dealings timeline: "on Monday, after a full-blown firestorm erupted over his comments, Giuliani walked it all back, saying he was only speaking hypothetically and there was no way of determining exactly when the discussions ended because they had no record of it."
Has anyone ever had a major business dealing with no record of it? I don't think so. (Isn't there a signed letter of agreement?)
The best speculation I've heard is that the Trump camp is trying to align public statements now with what was written under oath as part of the special council work into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collaboration by the Trump campaign staff.
I've heard it's not a crime to lie in public. Misleading, dishonest, unethical, self-serving....yes. Not illegal. And when a free press challenges lies, it's not illegal to call the free press "enemy of the people."
But we are close to that boundary now when a President and his staff lie in public about an investigation, it may actually break the law: "obstruction of justice."
There may be no legal reason to call the results of the 2016 presidential invalid. But one has to wonder how the Clinton/Trump debates would have been different if the Trump/Russia business ties were public knowledge.
11
Somebody grab the fire extinguisher, Rudy’s pants are on fire.
8
The media needs to STOP interviewing Giuliani.
He is either a liar, idiot, and/or losing his mental capacity.
He is not reliable or credible, and just serves to obfuscate the truth of nearly everything he speaks about.
If he wasn’t Trump’s media “lawyer”, nobody would be listening to this fool.
17
Rudy spelled the bean on Donald's BFF, Putin, while Donald denying that he had no business and no business interest in Putin's Russia.
This is why all news organizations need to stop giving this man airtime. He is a pathological liar, same as Trump. Stop giving him an outlet for his lies! Let him go to FOX News and spread the hate and lies and alternative facts and hypothetical information there.
12
I cannot listen to this man anymore. As someone who worked for lawyers for over thirty years I know that some of them are masters of obfuscation. Giuliani isn't one of them. He's just a liar.
43
@susan Exactly, Susan. The only people Rudy confounds are Trump and himself.
1
Rudy - that’s not how you pronounce hypocritical.
10
First Cohen, and now Giuliani.
I’m starting to think that Trump doesn’t hire the best people.
For a stable genius, Trump doesn’t seem to realize that Giuliani is batting for the other team.
An article in the The New Yorker Today app details the deranged mind of this so-called America’s mayor. Great read about a man whose mental faculty is no longer in his control.
9
When will the madness end? The lies and chaos are destroying our country. I wonder if the US can recover from this president.
18
Never before, and I'm almost 64, have I seen a situation, real of fictional, that was so simultaneously deeply tragic and hilariously funny as the one in Washington today.
22
Giuliani has likely already crossed the line into suborning perjury in which case he has nothing more to lose by being Trump's yes-man.
18
Let's stop all the spins, stories and fictions and start the testimony under oath.
29
We decry Trump when he says something that is unsubstantiated or proven false, yet Giuiani gets a bye for doing the same thing. Could that be because Giuiliani is a Democrat?
Even if Giuliani was correct, what difference does it make? It was business and the deal was dead.
Rudy hasn’t been a Democrat since 1975. He has been an incompetent lying sycophant since 2016 though.
28
@Bill
Giuliani is no Democrat. He's just a blowhard without any scruples or morals. A trash bag, in my opinion.
16
@Bill - Giuliani is not now and never has been a Democrat.
7
What a complete fiasco Giuliani is. Whatever credibility he had in the past...and it was not much...has been completely shredded. I'm at a loss as to why he gets any media time at all, except perhaps that it provides fodder for late night talk shows.
Responsible media should simply ignore him at this point. He has nothing to say that adds value except confusion, smoke and obstruction. Whether he is alert enough at this point in his life to recognize that...or it is indeed his plan...he has abdicated any responsible role in public discourse and should be put out to pasture.
24
@Peter Lobel You wrote, "...Responsible media should simply ignore him (Rudy) at this point..." How right you are, sir!! Giving this man airtime is such a mistake. Both he and Kellyann Conway should be ignored by the media. All they do is lie and spread hate across America.
6
How is it possible that Giuliani hasn’t been disbarred by now. He’s been lying and flouting the law since the Mueller investigation of Trump and others in his orbit began.
The American Bar Association should take action against the unethical Giuliani ASAP!
46
@buffnick: The ABA cannot disbar anyone. It's the State bar associations that control licensing. Talk to New York.
Given that Mr. Giuliani frequently “walks back” critical admissions that he makes on behalf of his client, why oh why does the media allow him this ridiculous wall-to-wall access such as we saw this past Sunday? His goal seems to be to promote the concept that nothing said by anyone means anything. In this he appears to be quite successful.
12
This seems to be the strategy to soften Trump's crimes in the public view.
Have Rudy blurt it out and then try to obfuscate afterward, covering up the crime some with a sympathy for crazy Rudy play.
It's similar to how Trump "accomplishes" stuff by making false claims and repeating those lies, leaving it for the media to fact check and fight over.
14
I can't wait for the next wave of gritty cop shows, where beat cops read perps their rights before stuffing 'em in the cruiser and taking 'em downtown:
"You have the right to an attorney. If you waive your right to an attorney, you have the right to Rudy Giuliani. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, unless you later say you were just kidding, or indicate that it was just a hypothetical."
45
@Tim Moerman
Witty & priceless!
Why keep on reporting what he says, if he can - and will - state just the opposite the very next day ?
9
@Damien D Look at his boss.
2
Haven't we all come to the point that we realize that Trump or anyone connected to him lies.The only difference with Giuliani is that he gets flustered and tries to rewrite his comments.We need to wait just a little longer for Mueller to tell is what is the truth and expose the lies which Trump and all his minions have told.
27
To test the Department of Justice internal rule that a sitting president must not be indicted, imagine that a president walks out on to Fifth Avenue with a gun and shoots the head Justice Dept. attorney of the Southern District of New York.
We would find out in a New York minute that the Justice Department's rule is not the law.
It is not the severity of the crime that dictates the American ideal and Constitutional provision that no person is above the law
14
Everyone knew the Trump Organization negotiated with the Russian Foreign Ministry to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Hillary Clinton made it a major taking point in her campaign speeches and in the presidential debates. But when Trump said he had no deals in Russia, he was telling the truth. He had no deal because Russia said no to the Trump Tower Moscow.
Trump probably considered the Trump Tower Moscow project dead in January 2016 when Russian refused to issue the building permits. Michale Cohen tried to revive the project but failed.
But why should it matter? Trump violated no U.S. election campaign law by pursuing the project.. Are people claiming they would not voted for Trump if they knew the Trump Tower project ended in June or July 201t6 instead of January 2016?
2
You are both wrong and right at the same time.
You're wrong in saying that Trump said he had no deal in Russia. That isn't what he said. Countless times during the campaign what he actually said was, "I have nothing to do with Russia." That was a massive lie.
But you are right when you say, what would it matter. It wouldn't have. The man had Bergen exposed as a pathological liar long before his run for the presidency and he continued his pathetic lies throughout the campaign. It didn't matter.
Trump's "Keep America white campaign" trumped, and continues to trump, anything else he says or does.
4
@William Case
Trump has repeatedly said "I have nothing to do with Russia.", in Feb 2017 he said "I haven't called Russia in ten years."
So he lied. Publicly. Repeatedly. You may not care about the character of the President of the United States, but a majority of the voters do.
Your intention to clear him based on semantics is quaint, and rings of "that depends on what the definition of 'is' is."
All of which weakens just one head of this hydra, the others are still viable, and possibly multiplying:
Giuliani's inability to keep his story straight brings to mind Mark Twain's quote: "Always tell the truth, that way you don't have to remember anything." I would bet my next meal that Giuliani is under the gun from Trump with orders to say this or that, and each day his on camera performance isn't up to par, so he gets another set of corrections.
8
Giuliani is Trump’s perfect, “Look at that shiny thing over there”, object. If there is one thing that is anathema to Trump and how he operates it is focus. Distraction and chaos are essential to Trump’s existence and success. The man should have been behind bars years ago, but he isn’t. He is President of the United States of America. P.T. Barnum was right.
13
Some wag recently said that Giuliani may be the first attorney to plead insanity.
34
Rudy is a bug eyed liar that lies, just like his client. There are so many damning facts that tRump himself has uttered in public or on Twitter there is enough to impeach, and if he was a private citizen, to arrest.
Go Mr Mueller, meanwhile the House needs to start impeachment proceedings. The orange one has gotten way more presumption of innocence than he ever deserved, it is high time to spread all his muck out in the sunshine and watch it stink up our country to high heaven so we can impeach and try to repair the hideous damage this Russian puppet has done.
16
Yeah, right. Fake news!
Any lawyer worth his salt knows not to deal in "hypotheticals".
15
Giuliani is as senile as Trump and McConnell. Our government is ruled by old men who should not be in office but at home, preferably in a nursing home. The only oldster who still thinks straight is Nancy Pelosi.
18
@Grandma
Actually, Maxine Waters is also doing quite well. You go Maxine!
1
It was my impression, that whether defense or prosecutors, attorneys were 'Officer's of the Court', and were expected to function in that capacity. With honesty and integrity.
If that's accurate, how does that categorize Giuliani's performance?
Is he advancing/enabling criminal conduct?
And has his conduct been reviewed by the American Bar Association?
38
Good point. He is a member of the New York Bar. This article asserts that he has violated the rules of professional conduct. https://takecareblog.com/blog/why-rudy-giuliani-s-bar-registration-should-be-revoked
Rule 4.1 Don't lie.
Rule 8.4 Don't attack the administration of justice.
3
Stop listening to what Giuliani says, stop listening and stop trying to decipher his "strategy." He has none. He's just a befuddled old man who long ago forgot how to be America's Mayor or even a lawyer.
30
That's OK, Rudy. Beyond Trump's base of deplorables, no one believes a word out of your--or Trump's--mouth. We'll wait for the actual facts, thanks. That is, the facts that emerge before Trump and his team "correct" them.
17
Trump pursued the Trump Tower Moscow project while running for for president, but why does it matter? It was not a violation of U.S. election campaign laws. Trump explained, “There was a good chance that I wouldn’t have won [the election], in which case I would have gone back into the business. And why should I lose lots of opportunities?” Presidential candidates normally divest themselves after the election, not before.
Then why lie about all of it? Their whole team has been lying for years about anything and everything related to Russia.
63
@Samli
Trump did not lie. He said he had no deal or interests in Russia. He did not have a deal because Russia said "No Deal" to Trump Tower Moscow. He had no interests in Russia because he had no investments or businesses in Russia.
@Samli
When Trump said hr had no deal with Russia, he was telling the truth. Russia said "no deal" to Trump Tower Moscow by denying the building permits.
When your own lawyer incriminates you, as Rudy The Mouth just did by corroborating what Michael Cohen alleged about the duration of negotiations for a Trump Tower Moscow project and extending it by five months, there is literally and figuratively no rolling back the clock. We now know that Russia had "kompromat" on Donald Trump--a real "golden shower" of millions and millions of rubles, and like Mike Flynn, he lied about it over and over again. This alone can explain all Trump's pro-Russia comments and actions. And, it rises to the level of a "high crime" which is an impeachable offense.
20
Why is a seasoned lawyer, ex-US Attorney, on TV discussing 'hypothetical' nuances and variations on his client's case?
14
What a sad spectacle Rudy Giuliani has become. He reminds me of the Emil Jannings character in "The Blue Angel," a formerly respected professor who falls in love with a performer and is reduced to a humiliated shell of his former self when his beloved does not return his affection.
Rudy's obituary would have made his response to 9/11 the highlight of a distinguished career with many notable achievements. Its lead paragraph will now discuss his swift fall from grace as President Trump's befuddled attorney. What will be on his tombstone? "Um, What I Meant To Say Was...."
It's not too late to redeem yourself, Mr. Giuliani. Give up the limelight, leave your unethical client, and get back to doing what you used to do well: making a positive difference in the world.
21
I used to wonder why the Sunday shows would allow the faltering Rudy to appear. But it makes sense to me now.
He’s not just comic gold, with his jewelry and eyes agog, hurling one fantastically dopey excuse after another. He can’t keep Donald’s “story” line straight and so he is actually a treasure trove of truthful nuggets if you can stand to listen long enough.
80
Why would trump even have giuliani as a spokesman. Obviously he's off in the head just saying just about anything.
9
This is all like watching a badly written soap opera that takes place in a nursing home for old men
154
I don't know about you, but after I watch these characters twist and turn to try defend Trump, I need to take a shower. It all seems so dirty and sleazy!
24
We all know the behavioral pattern of a child who lies. The “I didn’t mean that” or “that’s not what I said.”
The immaturity of so many in this administration is just about that of millions of Americans; the end result is, they’re in office.
24
This could be a quote by Rudolph Giuliani "There was never any illegal, immoral, unethical or collusive activity by Trump or his campaign members even when they had their private meetings in Sodom and Gomorrah, I’m sorry I meant to say Trump Tower".
14
Giuliani was never a stable man. People confuse his alleged heroics after 9/11 with an ever- arrogant, spiteful individual.
He moved the NYC Security headquarters to the World Trade Center against the advice of the Police and Security experts who thought that the WTC was a prime terrorists target , particularly after the attempt to bomb one tower previously .
Police brutality was rampant under his tenure. The rescuers and post-destruction clean-up teams were working on the site without protective masks or gear.Later, those who were sickened, found no advocacy from Mr. Giuliani.
Giuliani today is an embittered, screeching magpie. His ramblings are nonsensical, he’s a one man source of probably intended confusion in the already complicated Mueller investigation. He is most likely still seething over never getting an administration post even after all the support he gave to tRump during the campaign and into the administration’s early days.Is there perhaps method to his madness?
109
@Edward Calabrese As an NYC native who lived through Giuliani's crime-ridden mayoralty, I agree!
4
@Edward Calabrese As an NYC native who lived through Giuliani's crime-ridden mayoralty.
If only Donald Trump himself was merely a hypothetical President.
79
You made the mistake of asking for my thoughts.
Three comments? Must be Rudi needs a new PR team. Need a new assignment Ms. Haberman?
The pinkie ring. That's it.
1
@daniel lathwell yes it was a mistake
2
Let us never forget that this is the man Ann Coulter backed for President.
86
I realize there has been corruption in government forever, but never have I seen so much lying and deceit and truly lowlife behavior until trump became president. Not that I've ever been much of what you would call a "patriot", but today I'm truly ashamed to be American.
20
I guess even a law degree is incapable of making someone realize he's better staying home than making a mockery of himself.
18
Giuliani is the absolute best when he accidentally tells the truth. You gotta figure he's got something on Trump from his days as NYC mayor. This is like the 8th time he's screwed up and been honest on camera and had to "walk it back", ie correct the truth with a lie.
7
What lawyer would ever, EVER make such hypotheticals about their client? It doesn’t pass.
108
I would like to see the NY Times and the rest of the new media stop interviewing him and stop publishing what he says. He provides no useful information to the American public. Unsure if he has a strategy to confuse the public or just likes to talk and cannot remember what the facts are. Either way we do not need to hear what he says.
58
The movement to ignore Trump seems to be slowly gaining ground. Let's include Giuliani in the mix. Maybe we will be able to move on when the spotlight is off these clowns.
9
@DTD but what about the entertainment value? I have a good belly laugh every time Rudy opens his mouth.
4
@DTD Exactly! This man is addle-brained. He need no more media exposure. No exceptions. The CNN interview a few days ago showed him for what he is - an unreliable source. None of his comments are at all durable.
1
The 7/24 news cycle demands someone say something especially new. Rudy always gives you a quote. The level of incompetence is not with Rudy, it's with following him and reporting his statements as accurate. It is entertainment.
10
Donald J. Trump has picked the perfect character to be an extension of his scrambled eggs for brains chaos technique and the legitimate media has fallen for it.........again. It is no secret that Giuliani was a brilliant prosecutor but less than brilliant mayor, overall. It is no secret that, since leaving office 17 yrs ago, Giuliani has descended into a mental abyss which is where he and Trump are at home. Trump's antics of keeping them scratching their heads and chasing their tails may have been fun and games in the private sector but it is dangerous to the well being of the country when played out in the geopolitical spectrum.
71
If only Rudy Giuliani himself was just a hypothetical character.
111
Isn't this a old school KGB tactic, throw so much noise into the communication channel to obscure the signal.
If I recall correctly Putin routinely would take both sides of an issue to keep opponents guessing.
Seems the Don has the best consul.
65
@Awake Perhaps. Sadly, for Rudy, it isn't working except to confuse Rudy.
@Awake ...the best nastavnik indeed!
2
Trump has committed more crimes in full public view than Al Capone did behind closed doors. Witness intimidation by tweet, offering bribes (pardons) to witnesses against him, having witnesses fired and spreading disinformation about them and their families, just because he can.
We don't need Mueller to finish his investigation, the Republicans are not going to believe it anyway. It is now time to start impeachment HEARINGS so the American people can finally HEAR and learn what Trump and his co-conspirators, the Russians, have been doing and are still doing this very minute.
23
In what universe can Giuliani possibly be considered an asset to Trump?
Unless of course, he is doing exactly what he is supposed to do, which is to take the attention away from Trump by playing the court jester role.
51
Mueller investigators say the Trump Tower Moscow project ended in June or July 2016 instead of January 2016 as Michael Cohen told Congress, but it’s debatable. The project collapsed in January 2016 when Moscow refused to issue necessary permits, but after a Russian oligarch offered to intervene, Cohen tried to revive the project by writing a letter to the Russian foreign ministry. He never received a response. The attempt to revive the project failed. Trump may have considered the deal dead in January.
But why does it matter. When Trump said he had no deal with Russia or interests in Russia, he was telling the truth. Trump had no deal with Russia or interests in Russia because Russia said “No” to the deal.
Trump pursued the Trump Tower Moscow project while running for for president, but why does it matter? It was not a violation of U.S. election laws. Trump explained, “There was a good chance that I wouldn’t have won [the election], in which case I would have gone back into the business. And why should I lose lots of opportunities?”
1
@William Case
Simple, non-partisan reason(s): because he didn’t just pursue a deal. He made multiple statements and changed the Republican party platform to support Russia, in order to curry favor with them for his personal gain. He was very literally selling his country out to Russia. Additionally, he solicited their help, in public, asking them to break into Clinton’s emails, a solicitation that there is evidence they heard (attacks were immediately made). Let’s set aside partisanship. Seriously, if you don’t see that behavior as problematic, I don’t know what to tell you. It would be different if he had pursued this deal without using his position and potential presidency in the elections as a bargaining chip to build a stupid glass tower in Moscow.
15
@Scribbles
When Trump said he had no deal with Russia he was rowelling the truth. Russian said no to the Trump Tower Moscow deal.
Trump did not ask for Russia to hack Hillary Clinton’s email server. " He said: "“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. They probably have them. I’d like to have them released.” The 30,000 emails had been deleted from Hillary's server, so why would Trump ask them to search her server for them. Besides the remark was clearly sarcasm. And the fact is Trump never said anything about hacking.
Giuliani is as corrupt as his client. A typical mob lawyer.
125
I don no nuttin' 'bout no mob. But I'll bet the mob would be insulted by your comment.
14
@John
It's actually ironic because he built his name as NY prosecutor for going after the mafia. I guess that mafia playbook serves HIM rather well now.
Nightmare client and nightmare lawyer.
Both demonstrate, by negative example, the virtues of silence.
95
Here's a hypothetical:
Donald Trump was more concerned about getting Trump Tower Moscow built than winning the election.
He agreed to help Putin lift American sanctions and Putin agreed to help him win the election.
His campaign, with his knowledge, provided polling data and other information to the Russians.
The Russians took that information and engaged in a comprehensive propaganda campaign to help Trump win the election.
Those in the Trump campaign knew about this deal, which explains why: (1) the first thing they did after their surprise victory was to meet with Russians about making good on their bargain; (2) Trump has been Putin's press secretary since Trump's success; and (3) everyone in Trump's campaign lied about their Russian connections to cover-up the deal.
How about that for a hypothetical why we're at it, Rudy?
280
@Didier
The sanctions you refer to were not imposed until after the election. The Trump Tower Moscow project was never secret and was part of the presidential debate.
@William Case
The sanctions were put in place by the Obama administration before the election.
36
@William Case July 26, 2016: "I mean, I have nothing to do with Russia. I don't have any jobs in Russia. I'm all over the world but we're not involved in Russia," Trump tells CBS4.
47
What a farce.
Aren’t you tired of all this gaslighting, Americans?
While you are collectively fighting about which cup the ball lies under, the swindler’s accomplices are picking your pockets and are sending your country to ruin.
201
I remember just after 9-11 then Mayor Giuliani was so inspiring. What happened?
He has sunk so low, so much so I have to wonder about his mental health. Is something going on with his memory that causes him to alter his stories on a regular basis? He clearly needs time off.
38
Giuliani was never inspiring. If it wasn’t for the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack he would have been a long forgotten former mayor.
150
This is a tactic. Look at how many times he’s done this. If it wasn’t a tactic he would have been gone long ago. He says something they know will cause the press to focus on, like something shiny, to distract. Then he amplifies it by modifying or even denying what he just said. While the media is spluttering, they’ve moved on to something else. He knows EXACTLY what he’s doing, everybody who’s reputable should just stop offering him interviews. The “loose cannon” persona is calculated.
26