Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios
Rudy Giuliani has walked back that Fox News interview after Trump made comments on the former mayor before heading to the NRA's annual meeting telling reporters, "he'll get his facts straight... There has been a lot of misinformation. I say, You know what? Learn before you speak. It's a lot easier."
Giuliani's statement, issued this afternoon: "There is no campaign violation. The payment was made to resolve a personal and false allegation in order to protect the President’s family. It would have been done in any event, whether he was a candidate or not."
More from Rudy's statement:
- "My references to timing were not describing my understanding of the President’s knowledge, but instead, my understanding of these matters."
- "It is undisputed that the President’s dismissal of former Director Comey — an inferior executive officer — was clearly within his Article II power."
P.S. Trump's memorable lines today:
- "[I]f you take a look... at the Rod Rosenstein letter to me, prior to the firing of James Comey, just read it; put it in the air. Your viewers don’t know about it. Put that letter on the air."
- On a potential Mueller interview: "I would love to speak. I would love to. Nobody wants to speak more than me — in fact, against my lawyers, because most lawyers, they never speak on anything. I would love to speak, because we've done nothing wrong.
- "Thank you Kanye": Trump said West "must have some power" after a new poll he saw showed his support among African Americans jumped from 11% to 22%.