The former New York City mayor, attorney, and longstanding supporter of President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani is joining the president’s legal team and has vowed to quickly put an end to Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
“I’m going to join the legal team to try to bring this to a resolution,” said Giuliani to The New York Post last Thursday. “The country deserves it. I’ve got a great admiration for President Trump.”
Giuliani seems optimistic about the opportunity and plans to leverage his long history and relationship with Mueller to reach a resolution and to ultimately “negotiate an end” to the investigation.
“I’ve had a long relationship with Bob Mueller. I have great respect for him. He’s done a good job,” said Giuliani to The Post. “I don’t know yet what’s outstanding. But I don’t think it’s going to take more than a week or two to get a resolution. They’re almost there.”
Giuliani was coined “America’s Mayor” for his response to September 11th terrorist attack as NYC’s mayor, a role he had from 1994 to 2001. He also served as the attorney of the U.S. Southern District of New York from 1983 to 1999.
Mueller was the head of the FBI while Giuliani was mayor.
“In hiring Mr. Giuliani, Mr. Trump has turned to someone who is a reliable, loyal surrogate and an attack dog on television. Mr. Giuliani is a former top official at the Justice Department and served as the United States attorney in Manhattan,” writes the New York Times.
The NYT also writes Giuliani “is coming on board as a short-timer not only to appear on television but also to see if he can use his decades-long ties with Mr. Mueller to re-establish a working relationship with the special counsel’s team.”
Trump and his current legal team welcomed Giuliani to the team and believe he will be a valuable asset.
“The president said: ‘Rudy is great. He has been my friend for a long time and wants to get this matter quickly resolved for the good of the country,’” said Jay Sekulow, Trump’s lawyer. “I have had the privilege of working with Mayor Giuliani for many years, and we welcome his expertise.”
Giuliani, who was considered for Jeff Sessions’ role as Secretary of State, will be focusing working with Mueller to schedule a meeting where Trump can be questioned in a way both parties are comfortable with.
Trump has been eager to answer Mueller’s questions, but has been less trusting of the Justice Department ever since the raid on the president’s longtime personal lawyer Michael D. Cohen, which many believe was an overstep by the government.
Giuliani is currently a consultant at his law firm, Greenberg Traurig, but will be taking a leave of absence while working for Trump.
Jane Serene Raskin and Martin R. Raskin, both former federal prosecutors, are also joining Trump’s legal team.
Author’s note: Giuliani has proven time and time again that he is a man of action. When he has set his mind to something in the past, he gets it done. With that in mind, hiring him was certainly a power move on Trump’s part.