Rudy Giuliani got America's attention Sunday by saying he couldn't deny that President Trump may plead the Fifth Amendment if he testifies in the Russia probe, ABC News reports. "Are you confident the president will not take the Fifth in this case?" asked George Stephanopoulos on This Week, per a transcript. Trump's top attorney retorted, "How can I ever be confident of that? When I'm facing a situation with the president and all the other lawyers are, in which every lawyer in America thinks he would be a fool to testify, I've got a client who wants to testify, please, don't—he said it yesterday." He soon added, "I hope we get a chance to tell him the risk that he's taking. So he may testify." Among other nuggets:
On Stormy Daniels: "Now that’s pretty—I—I think she—she kind of—God, if I were her lawyer I’d be very upset. Fame and fortune, let me make money. How is she damaged? She’s become rich as a result of this. The $130,000 doesn’t mean anything. Boy, I wish that was my case."
On her $130,000 payment: "...Our NDA with her seems to be irrelevant because she wants to break it up because she wants to make a lot more money than $130,000. I never thought $130,000—I know this sounds funny to people there at home. I never thought $130,000 was a real payment, it’s a nuisance payment. When I settle this—when it was real or a real possibility, it’s a couple million dollars, not—not $130,000."
On Trump reimbursing former attorney Michael Cohen: "...That—you know, may be in a little bit of dispute. This is more rumor than it is anything else." Stephanopoulos: "But that’s what you said. You said that to BuzzFeed." Giuliani: "But here’s the—but here’s the—well, yes, I mean that—that’s one of the possibilities and one of the rumors. The reality is..." Stephanopoulos: "You stated it as fact." Giuliani: "Well, maybe I did. But I—right now, I’m at the point where I’m learning, and I can only—I can’t prove that. I can just say it’s rumor."
On Trump initially denying the Stormy payments: Stephanopoulos: "It's OK to lie to the press?" Giuliani: "Gee, I don’t know, you—you know a few presidents who did that. I don’t think that this president has done that. But in any event, that’s not the crime. The crime is was it a campaign contribution, not a campaign contribution."
story continues below
On why Daniels wasn't paid off long ago: "I don’t know. Maybe she didn’t demand it earlier. ... I do think it’s suspect that she waits until the very last minute with regard to the campaign, and where you could get the maximum personal damage against the president. Back in 2011, he was—he was a celebrity. But he wasn’t running for president of the United States. Now that adds to the situation, it doesn’t create any additional motivation, though. Primary motivation is personal."
Does Giuliani want Rod Rosenstein to end the Russia probe? "I do. I believe that after Judge Ellis's remarks ... there's no question that the amount of government misconduct is accumulating. I happen to believe it's greater than anybody realizes. Very embarrassing to my former Justice Department."
(More
Rudy Giuliani stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
