Trump Admits Lying About Sending Giuliani To Ukraine

The Insider reports:

President Donald Trump on Thursday casually cast aside one of the central claims of his impeachment defense by openly admitting to sending his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to hunt for dirt on the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The president made the claim in a podcast interview with the Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera, who had asked him whether it was “strange to send Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine” and whether he regretted the decision.

Trump previously said he did not direct Giuliani’s efforts in Ukraine, seeking to distance himself from damaging information that emerged during his impeachment trial in the House last year.

Emboldened after his impeachment acquittal, President Trump now openly admits to sending his attorney Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to find damaging information about his political opponents, even though he strongly denied it during the impeachment inquiry https://t.co/ztrenfZXZv

— CNN (@CNN) February 14, 2020

“Trump had previously denied that he sent Giuliani to Ukraine. Asked in November if he directed Giuliani to ‘do anything’in Ukraine, Trump said, ‘No, I didn’t direct him,’ but went on to call Giuliani a ‘great corruption fighter.’” https://t.co/coS5TGBBL2

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) February 14, 2020

11/27/19:
O’Reilly: So you didn’t direct him to go to Ukraine to do anything or put any heat on anyone?

Trump: No, I didn’t direct him.

2/13/2020:
Rivera: Was it strange to send Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine, your personal lawyer? Are you sorry you did that?

Trump: No, not at all.

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) February 14, 2020

Not just “sending” him, but directing Giuliani to investigate a private US citizen in a foreign country instead of relying on US law enforcement & intelligence agencies (who wouldn’t have done his dirty work). https://t.co/CUdaAU2SBt

— Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) February 14, 2020

So trump committed the impeachable act that republicans said he didn’t? https://t.co/gRGWW8XQaS

— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) February 14, 2020

In Nov., Trump said he didn’t “direct” Giuliani to go to Ukraine to investigate.

Now, Trump confirms he did in fact “use” Giuliani to investigate.

Just the latest proof that his entire impeachment defense was built on lies. https://t.co/H0oXiLZiRr

— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) February 14, 2020