Sep 22, 2019

Giuliani says he misspoke in CNN interview about Ukraine and Biden

Jacob Knutson

President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani said on "Fox News Sunday" that he misspoke during his interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo on Friday when he at first denied that he asked Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.

"I clarified it immediately. He said to me, 'Did you ever talk about Joe Biden.' I said no. Then I said, "I did say that you should investigate Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. The no was obviously wrong. I clarified it immediately. I corrected it before he corrected it. The reality is⁠ — the distinction is this. What they're trying to say is I went there for a political mission to kind of get Joe Biden in trouble. Ridiculous. I went there as a lawyer defending his client."

Why it matters: Giuliani said that he asked Ukrainian officials to investigate "Ukrainian collusion" that he claims occurred during the 2016 presidential election, but the acknowledgment that his request involved Biden is now at the heart of an unraveling controversy that involves President Trump.

  • House Democrats are now investigating Giuliani's time in Ukraine and whether Trump pressured Ukraine's president to open an investigation into Biden and his son. Trump confirmed on Sunday that he discussed Biden with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a July phone call.

Go deeper: Trump confirms he discussed Biden with Ukrainian president

Go deeper

Axios

Rudy: "I can't tell you if it's 100%" false that Trump threatened Ukraine aid

President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani told Fox Business' Maria Bartiomo Monday that he couldn't assure her "100%" that Trump had not threatened to withhold military aid from Ukraine if the country did not launch an investigation into Joe Biden and his son.

The big picture: Giuliani is at the heart of the Ukraine controversy — which he says involved him asking Ukrainian officials to investigate "Ukrainian collusion" that he claims occurred during the 2016 presidential election — but he acknowledged over the weekend that his request involved Biden.

Go deeperArrowSep 23, 2019
Axios

Memo: Trump asked Ukraine to work with Giuliani, Barr to investigate Biden

Photo: Alex Ellinghausen/The Sydney Morning Herald via Getty Images

The White House on Wednesday released a memorandum of a July 25 call in which President Trump pressed the president of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. The memo notes that it is not a verbatim transcript.

The big picture: After discussing the Ukrainian election, Trump told President Volodymyr Zelensky he should work with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General Bill Barr to look into allegations that Joe Biden fired a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating his son. Trump has previously confirmed that he discussed these allegations against Biden — for which there is no evidence — with Zelensky. It was not previously known that Trump asked Zelensky to work with Barr.

Read the memoArrowSep 25, 2019
Rashaan Ayesh

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen calls on Giuliani to testify about his role in Ukraine issue

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) on Wednesday called on President Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to testify "under oath" before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about his role in pushing the Ukrainian government to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

Why it matters: Shaheen is the first senator to call on Giuliani to testify about the Ukrainian conversation and whistleblower complaint. Her statement comes after Giuliani said on Fox News Tuesday night that he "never talked to a Ukrainian official until the State Department called me and asked me to do it."

Go deeperArrowSep 25, 2019