Giuliani says Cohen's tapes prove Mueller's 'investigation is going nowhere'

The secret recordings of President Trump made by his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, prove Special Counsel Robert Mueller's "investigation is going nowhere," Trump's current personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, argued Sunday.
"Donald Trump didn't do anything wrong; he didn't commit a crime of any kind," Giuliani said on an early morning radio appearance on New York's AM 970. "This is exactly what the president has always said it is. Whether he meant it or not, this is turning out to be a witch hunt."
In a recording obtained by CNN, Trump and Cohen are heard in September 2016 discussing buying the rights to a former Playboy model's story of the affair she claims to have had with the president years prior. Cohen is under investigation for possible campaign finance violations for allegedly paying to keep the allegations quiet. At issue is whether Trump knew of the payment in advance. The recording audio is not entirely clear, but Trump at one point says to Cohen, "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.
On ABC News Saturday, Giuliani accused Cohen of violating attorney-client privilege and indicated he has ended the Trump-Cohen joint defense agreement. "The president was very disappointed in Michael Cohen, as he's tweeted, particularly because he was a friend, but also because he was a lawyer and acting as a lawyer during that conversation," Giuliani said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read