Rudy Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City speaks to the Organization of Iranian American Communities during their march to urge “recognition of the Iranian people’s right for regime change,” outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 24, 2019.
President Donald Trump‘s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani raised several sets of eyebrows on Thursday afternoon in typical Giuliani fashion when he told a reporter he had “insurance” — just in case he’s thrown under the fast-moving wheels of the impeachment bus by an increasingly embattled White House.
According to the Guardian, Giuliani gave an exclusive interview to reporter Stephanie Kirchgaessner during which he promised he would remain loyal to Trump throughout the ongoing impeachment hearings premised on allegations of an attempted quid pro quo with the president of the Ukraine–allegedly conditioning U.S. aid to the former Soviet state on an investigation into Joe Biden‘s son.
Over the phone, Kirchgaessner asked the former New York City mayor if he was “nervous” Trump might “throw him under a bus.”
To which Giuliani replied:
I’m not, but I do have very, very good insurance, so if he does, all my hospital bills will be paid.
That statement prompted a quick interjection from Giuliani’s own attorney Robert Costello–who was also on the call.
“He’s joking,” Costello insisted.
The Guardian’s reporter, however, wasn’t entirely convinced of the humor in that message.
“Whether it was a joke or a veiled threat, Giuliani has emerged as a key player in the impeachment proceedings,” Kirchgaessner noted.
The man formerly known as hizzoner got back on track by opining on specifics of Wednesday’s fireworks in the House of Representatives.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires for Ukraine Bill Taylor testified that one of his aides heard U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland speaking with Trump on the phone in July–just after the so-called “perfect” conversation Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Taylor’s revelation stood out as somewhat damning and lead most coverage of the impeachment hearings.
“Following the call with President Trump, the member of my staff asked Ambassador Sondland what President Trump thought about Ukraine,” Taylor testified during the landmark hearing. “Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for.”
Giuliani thoroughly rubbished the importance of Taylor’s testimony and denied all knowledge of any such phone call.
“I’m not sure this is very solid testimony,” Trump’s attorney told the London-based outlet. “In court we would call it hearsay, triple hearsay. It would not even be admissible. But if you are asking me flat out had I ever heard of a conversation like that? No. I thought it was a weak way to start a trial.”
Giuliani was also quizzed on whether the potential for presidential turncoat-like behavior might instead emanate from congressional Republicans hoping to use the attorney as a patsy in order to protect Trump.
Giuliani responded that Trump was “a very loyal guy.”
“I acted properly as his lawyer,” he continued. “I did what a good lawyer is supposed to do. I dug up evidence that helped to show the case against him was false; that there was a great deal of collusion going on someplace else other than Russia. And then I stepped on the number one minefield, which is Joe Biden, who is heavily protected by the Washington press corps.”
Giuliani also said that Trump had wished him a good night on Wednesday evening.
[image via ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images]
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