Rudy Giuliani says Trump-Cohen recording is 'open to interpretation'
After the release of a secret 2016 audio recording of President Trump and Michael Cohen Tuesday night, Rudy Giuliani tried to do damage control, saying the tape is "hard to hear" and "open to interpretation."
The conversation between Trump and Cohen was about Cohen buying the rights to a story sold to American Media Inc., publisher of the National Enquirer, by Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump that ended in 2007. AMI paid McDougal $150,000 for her story, which never ran. Cohen is heard saying he needs to "open up a company for that transfer of all that info regarding our friend David," likely referring to David Pecker, AMI's CEO.
After Cohen says on the tape, "We'll have to pay," Trump responds, "Pay with cash," but Giuliani told Fox News host Laura Ingraham the tape is "hard to hear," and "there is no way the president is going to be talking about setting up a corporation then using cash, unless you're a complete idiot, and again, the president is not an idiot." The main issue, he said, is that "it's outrageous that someone would tape his client surreptitiously." The White House has since released its own transcript of the tape, and claims Trump says, "Don't pay with cash."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Giuliani also spoke to The Washington Post, and said the tape does not show Trump knew about the McDougal deal. "That's open to interpretation and we can have a fight about that," he said. "To me, it sounds like Cohen is explaining something to [Trump] that he doesn't understand. He doesn't seem that familiar with anything. There is nothing to indicate that he knew anything in advance." The Wall Street Journal reported right before the election about the payment to McDougal, and when reached for comment at the time, Trump's campaign spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said, "We have no knowledge of any of this." Catherine Garcia
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The new powers to stop stalking in the UK
The Explainer Updated guidance could help protect more victims, but public is losing trust in police and battered criminal justice system
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Criminal trail?'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Grindr 'shared user HIV status' with ad firms, lawsuit claims
Speed Read LGBTQ dating app accused of breaching UK data protection laws in case filed at London's High Court
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published