In either a genius move of guerrilla marketing or yet another failure to secure his information, Rudy Giuliani was recorded discussing his impeachment plans in public on Saturday: At lunch in Manhattan, the president’s personal lawyer stated his intention to start a podcast to analyze the public impeachment hearings that will begin in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
If Giuliani goes through with the show, this will be an unprecedented opportunity for historians: One of the Ukraine scandal’s principal players, who is currently under criminal investigation for his actions in the country, will be providing real-time commentary on his role in the quid pro quo. (Consider the hypothetical of the Nixon “plumbers” getting together for a radio show shortly after leaving the Watergate hotel.) For Democrats, the pod could be good news, considering Giuliani’s tendency to admit to information on-air that the Trump camp has previously denied. In the recording obtained by CNN, Giuliani says he would like to complete four episodes to “analyze the impeachment in every aspect” before the Senate trial begins. Unfortunately for him, the printouts he relies on to hammer home his talking points on cable won’t work on a listening audience.
Although Giuliani has mostly avoided attention since the arrest of his clients Igor Fruman and the recently flipped Lev Parnas, he has had visions of podcasting on his mind for at least a month now. In September, he was overheard at a cigar bar discussing plans for an impeachment show, and on Friday, he was featured on Steve Bannon’s impeachment podcast testing out his stuff. (For Trump affiliates who fail at their plans to shake up European politics — by halting aide to Ukraine or by founding a school for far-right agitators in Italy — a podcast seems to be the natural rebound.)
“Many Americans want to hear directly from Giuliani,” a spokeswoman told CNN, confirming the audio recording. “He is considering several options, in consultation with Jay Sekulow and the legal team, regarding the best way to move forward.” That legal consultation should be fairly extensive, considering Giuliani’s current status as both the subject of a counterintelligence investigation and a criminal probe for his dealings in Ukraine on behalf of the Trump administration.
