Rudy Giuliani has spent much of the last week going absolutely bonkers on live television. He’s done the full cable news cycle, appearing mostly on CNN and Fox News, plus various right-wing radio shows and God knows what else. Part of me thinks that Rudy knows he’s being set up as the “patsy,” the fall guy for this entire Ukraine-treason mess. But part of me wonders if anyone involved in Trump’s orbit is really capable of thinking that far ahead. For Rudy to be set up as the fall guy would involve planning and advance work. It would also be contingent upon Rudy not having mountains of evidence which incriminated other people, the people who would try to set him up. Rudy is literally on Fox News, showing the emails sent to him by State Department officials, encouraging him to go to Ukraine and investigate Joe Biden. Which brings me to this:
Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s presidential campaign contacted top television anchors and networks on Sunday to “demand” that Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, be kept off the air because of what they called his misleading comments about the Biden family and Ukraine.
“We are writing today with grave concern that you continue to book Rudy Giuliani on your air to spread false, debunked conspiracy theories on behalf of Donald Trump,” a pair of top Biden campaign advisers, Anita Dunn and Kate Bedingfield, wrote in the letter. “Giving Rudy Giuliani valuable time on your air to push these lies in the first place is a disservice to your audience and a disservice to journalism,” the advisers wrote.
The note, which was obtained by The New York Times, was sent to executives and top political anchors at ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC, including star interviewers like Jake Tapper, Chuck Todd and Chris Wallace.
Mr. Giuliani has been a ubiquitous presence on television news in recent days, advocating on Mr. Trump’s behalf. He has repeatedly alleged that Mr. Biden, while serving as vice president, intervened in Ukraine to assist his son Hunter Biden’s business interests. No evidence has surfaced that Mr. Biden intentionally tried to help his son in Ukraine. The Biden campaign argued that Mr. Giuliani’s television appearances had allowed him to mislead the viewing public — and suggested that network journalists had done too little to hold him to account. “While you often fact check his statements in real time during your discussions, that is no longer enough,” the letter said.
Do I think Joe Biden and his campaign have a point? Sure. And I know why they did this – they did this because they had to take this position. But I doubt Biden and his camp really expect the cable news outlets to stop booking Rudy. And it’s partly good for Biden too, because Rudy keeps incriminating himself, Donald Trump and most of the people in the executive branch.
Tim Bossert, Trump’s former homeland security advisor, made a public statement saying he was disturbed by Trump’s fixation on the conspiracy theory that Ukrainian officials intervened in the 2016 election on behalf of the Democrats, which is basically one strand of the larger false conspiracy Trump has been weaving about Joe Biden, Democrats, Obama, emails, Hunter Biden, Hillary Clinton and more.
Meanwhile, Rudy is still being booked and Trump is still posting the videos on his Twitter.
“This is about proving that Donald Trump was framed by the Democrats.” @RudyGiuliani pic.twitter.com/GIadp3b0n3
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2019
Here’s Rudy taking down Mike Pompeo:
Rudy Giuliani just said the State Department asked him to "go on a mission" AND WHY IN THE HELL IS STATE DEPT ASKING THE PRESIDENTS PERSONAL LAWYER TO GO TO UKRAINE WTF IS HAPPENING pic.twitter.com/i4OK9myriJ
— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) September 24, 2019
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Joe Biden…ONCE AGAIN…proves that he is not fit to be POTUS….
Obama took it…AND STILL TAKES IT…
Hillary took it…AND STILL TAKES IT…
But…HE…wants a pass?!?!
Obama is twice the man Biden is.
And Hillary has more balls than either of them.
But IDK that Biden’s wrong on this. This goes beyond your regular campaign nonsense. It’s a conspiracy theory. I wouldn’t have been mad if Hills or Barack had done something similar.
“Let him talk, I have nothing to hide,” seems to hold up a little better.
This isn’t the thing that would hurt Biden’s campaign among Democrats but how Biden handles it just might be.
If he didn’t call on the media to stop featuring people who slandered his Democratic competitors, then it’s not about defeating propaganda – it’s about protecting only himself.
Obama has always carried himself with class, integrity and humidity. I miss him terribly. This never happened when he was in charge.
I’m going to have disagree because it’s not about wanting a pass but the conspiracy theory aspect of this. Biden does have to respond to the attacks. Is this the best way? Probably not. I’d answer questions but Trump would twist that around, too. Many on this site don’t want Biden as the Democratic nominee & I understand that but what’s happening to him is dead wrong. Trump is going to launch similar attacks against anyone he views as a threat. Keep that in mind for whoever wins the nomination.
Yeah, that was a pretty dumb move on Biden’s part. Now he’ll be seen as someone who wants to manipulate or silence the press. You know he is going to say that he didn’t authorize the letter and those 2 ladies are going to be fired and be blamed for the letter.
Rudy is crazy and infuriating, but he is spilling all. the. beans.
Between Bill Barr, who’s smart and corrupt, Rudy Giuliani, who’s stupid and corrupt, Michael Cohen, who is mediocre and corrupt, and Brett Kavanaugh, who is sleazy and corrupt, Trump really has an eye for legal beagles.
Lol!!!
YES. Part of me wants him to keep talking. He has no control once he starts in these interviews, no plan, he’s in an unhinged emotional panic. A good interviewer could get him to tell the truth, accidentally. But god it’s painful to watch.
CNN also played trump’s nazi rallies from start to finish for a year straight. They get HIS message out and are complicit in spreading lies and division. It’s disgusting.
Guiliani keeps admitting to stuff. In one way he’s an asset. He really should be dealing with a criminal investigation separate from impeachment because he is admitting to crimes. I would rather see him locked up than just banned from media. Biden is playing this like it’s an “if you ignore it it will go away” situation. They aren’t going away and this is not a solution to anything but Biden’s problems.
So Ukraine intervened in the 2016 election on behalf of Hillary? Well, that’s a new one. In Trump’s world, it was Ukraine, Bhutan, zombies, leprechauns, and Poughkeepsie.
Giuliani is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s not going to be a good look if he’s only booked on FOX. He’s going down in a blaze of frickin’ crazy and DJT can go with him.
If Biden wants the nom, he could give a few more interviews…..just saying.
Guliani is so consumed with jealousy that Trump is President that he’s off his rocker. It’s pathetic and cringe inducing. He’s so happy to be President adjacent that he’ll say and do anything to keep things the way they are.
Rudy is a loose cannon. Is he an undercover frenemy?
Joe has GOT TO GO
he is NOT the one to go up against Trump
Hes TOO MESSY
and does NOT represent the new DEM PARTY
Sanders, Warren…or any of the other candidates have more charisma, less baggage, and more ideas
JUST GO! JOE! Don’t do this to the DEM Party
Choose our nation and endorse Sanders or Warren and MOVE OUT OF THE WAY
My prediction has always been that these two geezers knock each other out and someone relevant comes up the middle.
Lawyers for Trump either quit or end up in jail. Keep talking Rudy, you will look good in an orange jumpsuit.
I do wish that the media would stop giving liars a megaphone. People can tell whatever lies; but do we have to keep putting them on tv. These people want attention and the media gives it to them.