COLLUSION OR NOT?
by Sharon Rondeau
(Jul. 30, 2018) — At 12:28 p.m. EDT, former New York City Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani called in to FNC’s “Outnumbered” with the apparent purpose of clarifying comments he made earlier that “collusion is not a crime,” spurring some to believe that Giuliani had changed his stance that Trump did not participate in any type of “collusion” with Russians during the 2016 campaign.
A second question arose when Giuliani appeared to say that Trump did not attend a meeting at which Trump’s elder son, Donald Trump, Jr., met with a Russian attorney under the premise she presented of having unflattering information on Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
When asked by co-host Harris Faulkner, “Why did you say that?” Giuliani explained that “there was another alleged meeting that hasn’t been leaked yet” “in which they discussed the meeting with the Russian…”
He said that Trump Jr. did not inform his father about the meeting with the Russian lawyer in June 2016 at Trump Tower and that the unreported meeting did not actually take place.
Giuliani said that “two reporters” claimed that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen said that Trump the candidate attended the initial meeting not known to the public until now.
The co-hosts were clearly confused by Giuliani’s explanation, which this writer also found difficult to follow. It was repeated at 12:42 p.m. EDT.
Guest Guy Benson then asked Giuliani to clarify two points: that Trump the candidate did not commit “collusion” during the campaign; and that he “did not know” about the Trump Tower meeting in advance. Giuliani responded “Correct” when Benson asked, paraphrased, “Is it still your position that whether or not collusion is a crime, your client did not engage in collusion?”
To the second question, Giuliani maintained his position that Trump was not informed of the Trump Tower meeting between his son and the Russian lawyer.
When questioned later about whether or not Trump will interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is conducting the “Russia” probe and any possible “collusion,” Giuliani again said that the “legitimacy” of the investigation is in doubt. He added, however, that he believes that Mueller “is near the end of his investigation.”
At 12:49 p.m., the subject of Cohen’s recordings of Trump arose, with Giuliani stating that he has listened to more than 180 recordings from Cohen’s collection but that there is only one containing a conversation between Cohen and Trump. Giuliani has castigated Cohen for recording Trump without his knowledge, and on Saturday, said that the tape has been altered.
He told “Outnumbered” that “only 12 recordings are of any substance.”
One of the recordings, Giuliani claimed, is between CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Cohen.
Giuliani said that the recording Cohen apparently made of Trump could lead to “disbarment proceedings.”
In New York State, it is legal to record another individual without asking his or her permission.
Giuliani ended the call at approximately 12:53. In an interview with USA Today earlier on Monday, Giuliani reportedly said that his “team is preparing a ‘counter-report’ designed to rebut any accusations that special counsel Robert Mueller makes in his expected report about the Russia investigation.”