CNN to Rudy Pal: Did Rudy Ask Trump For Help on Legal Bills?

CNN anchor Abby Phillip pushed Rudy Giuliani political adviser Ted Goodman repeatedly on reports Rudy’s asking ex-President Donald Trump for help with legal bills, eventually reminding him “it’s a yes or no question.”

Giuliani went to Mar-a-lago to beg Trump for help with his legal bills, according to reporting from CNN.

On Tuesday night’s edition of CNN Primetime, Phillip spent a good three minutes and about seven tries to get Goodman to answer whether the reports were true — stats which point to the answer Goodman avoided giving:

PHILLIP: So, Ted, CNN is reporting that Giuliani has gone to Trump personally to help him get help with those legal bills. And those pleas from Giuliani have fallen on deaf ears. He currently doesn’t have a Georgia attorney to represent him, according to our reporting, in the full case, not just the bond hearing, but the full case, because of his financial situation. Is that still the case that he is —

GOODMAN: That’s not the case. I’m not sure where this reporting is coming from. And so what I can tell you, once again, the mayor is going to be appropriately represented in this case. And anything to the contrary, to me, is just fan fiction.

PHILLIP: Is it not — are you saying it’s not the case that he asked Trump for help with his legal bills or not the case that he has an attorney?

GOODMAN: Well, okay. There is one thing when you say, you know, did he ask the president for help with legal bills, but that’s not how you portrayed it, right? Go back to —

PHILLIP: So, did he ask the former president for help with his legal bills?

GOODMAN: Look, I wasn’t in the room. I wasn’t a part of those discussions. So, I can’t speak to what him and the president discussed in private.

PHILLIP: So, you don’t know?

GOODMAN: However, again, this isn’t — again, this is fan fiction, this attempt by some — not all — by some, to drive a rift between the mayor and the president, for example, when that is simply not the case. So, again, a lot of this is fan fiction and it’s just not true.

PHILLIP: Well, you are describing it as fans fiction. But you also say that you weren’t there so you don’t know. Did he ask for help with his legal bills or not?

GOODMAN: Look, again, the way some are covering this in the media, right, there is an obvious, deliberate attempt to drive a wedge between America’s mayor and the president. And, again —

PHILLIP: So, Ted, the let me ask you, does Mr. Giuliani want Trump or his allies to do what they have done for other people involved in legal cases, which is to pay for a lawyer to help him defend himself in some of these cases?

GOODMAN: Look, again, we are talking about, maybe the most consequential federal prosecutor in American history. This is someone who took down the mafia. This is a man who put away some of the biggest criminals on Wall Street. Again, we are talking about someone who understands the law more than maybe anyone in this country, and, again, someone who has been as effective a prosecutor as anyone.

Again, he will be well represented an appropriately represented in these matters.

PHILLIP: I understand what you are saying but that’s not what I am asking you. I’m just asking, simply, does he need help paying for his lawyers? And does he want that help from the former president? That’s a yes or no question.

GOODMAN: Again, so, I am here to discuss the mayor’s background, of course, and to discuss what is coming up here in Georgia. Again, I am not here to discuss private discussions between the mayor and the president. That is not my job. And, again, some of this reporting we are seeing on this matter, right, is intentional and it is being done to try and drive a wedge between the mayor and the former president and to create issues where this isn’t one, right?

PHILLIP: Well, look, you are claiming that it is intended to drive a wedge but you are also not denying, based on anything that you might know whether it’s true or not.

GOODMAN: Go back to — how did you originally asked the question?

PHILLIP: Let me ask you about a separate topic here.

Watch above via CNN Primetime.

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