Speed Reads

as seen on TV

Trump's main legal strategy is to have 'TV lawyers' defend him on-air

President Trump understands the importance of a good TV appearance, and he wants his legal team up to par.

Trump complains in private that he needs better "TV lawyers" to represent him on cable news shows, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Based on accounts from 22 sources — White House and Justice Department officials, Trump "confidants" and attorneys — Trump is frustrated with the ongoing probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and aides are "resigned to just buckle up" and survive the storm, the Post reports. The investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 election has created tension between the president and his legal team, which has led to the departure of several of the president's attorneys.

Rudy Giuliani, who has been Trump's attorney since last month, has recently appeared on TV to defend the president — though he complicated things by revealing details about the Stormy Daniels scandal. Trump reportedly wants a more frequent and full-throated defense system on network television in order to combat the "witch hunt" that he believes is undermining his "legitimacy" as president. Even though Giuliani's TV antics have stressed out White House staffers like Chief of Staff John Kelly, Trump and Giuliani continue to plan media appearances in private. Read more at The Washington Post.