After Rudy Giuliani went on Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, then on Fox and Friends Thursday morning, and then spoke with NBC News Thursday night, it seemed like he and Trump felt they were on a roll.
But perhaps someone told them that Rudy's press blitz may have done more harm than good, because Giuliani just released a statement intended to "clarify the views [he] expressed over the past few days.
It's in three parts:
The Giuliani statement. pic.twitter.com/JxeChkKEFp
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 4, 2018
Giuliani's points break down as follows:
- The $130,000 payment represents "no campaign violation"
- Giuliani's "references to timing" were not related to his "understanding of the President's knowledge" about the Stormy Daniels payment
- Trump's firing of James Comey was "clearly within his Article II power."
Stormy Daniels's lawyer Michael Avenatti wasted no time in responding on Twitter:
Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Trump are making it up as they go along. Never before has that old adage been more appropriate: “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive" - W. Scott. How stupid do they think all of us are? #basta
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 4, 2018
Others piled on the former mayor on Twitter:
When you listen to Giuliani explain what Trump knew and when, listen through the filter of his 1st marriage: Giuliani married his cousin for 14 years then got an annulment from the Catholic Church by claiming he didn't know she was his cousin.
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) May 4, 2018
This is Giuliani's attempt to fix his biggest mistake yesterday—his suggestion that the timing of the payment was important to keep Stormy Daniels out of the news prior to the final presidential debate. That made the payment appear campaign related. https://t.co/jhvDIpF2R8
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) May 4, 2018
Giuliani releases a statement to clarify his accidental confession on Fox News and his statement clarifies absolutely nothing—he is still full of shit, Trump still paid off the porn star and fired Comey because of Russia and this is still the most corrupt White House in history.
— Ryan Knight (@ProudResister) May 4, 2018
