President Trump is defending his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, as concern grows that the former New York mayor’s meddling in Ukraine is lending credibility to the Democratic impeachment effort.
“I think Rudy is a corruption fighter. I think he viewed Ukraine as a very corrupt place,” Trump said Thursday during a wide-ranging Oval Office interview with Washington Examiner reporters and editors, just hours after the House voted to formalize impeachment proceedings.
“He was a terrific prosecutor,” Trump said. “He’s a real corruption fighter.”
Giuliani figures prominently in the impeachment process initiated by House Democrats after a government whistleblower alleged that Trump, in a telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, pressured Kyiv to investigate political rival Joe Biden in a quid pro quo for military aid. Democrats say the summary transcript of the conversation later released by the White House bolsters their case, but Trump and Republicans in Congress strenuously disagree.
Prior to Trump’s telephone call with Zelensky, Giuliani was working aggressively with Ukrainians to spark investigations into Biden, a potential Trump opponent, and his son Hunter inside the Eastern European country.
Giuliani also sought to pin foreign interference in the 2016 election on Ukraine. Russia was the subject of a federal investigation into whether Trump colluded with Moscow in that campaign.
Meanwhile, Giuliani appears to have played an influential role in Trump’s decision to fire U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
This meddling by Giuliani, and his loose tongue with reporters has many Republicans on edge.
Some say his actions and comments are undermining Trump’s assertion that he did not tie military aid to Ukraine obtaining an agreement from Zelensky to investigate Biden. But Trump seemed unconcerned, signaling that he is comfortable with Giuliani’s actions and is not bothered by his eyebrow-raising media appearances.
“Rudy Giuliani was the best mayor in the history of New York,” the president said. “And, Rudy Giuliani was a great crime fighter. I also know Rudy is a very honest person, he’s a very honest person. And, he speaks his mind.”
[Read more: Trump refuses to defend Mick Mulvaney, heightening indications chief of staff on the way out]
