President Trump reportedly touted his decision to bring former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani onto his legal team by proclaiming that he was hiring “America’s f—ing mayor,” The Associated Press reported Friday.
Trump’s decision to hire Giuliani to assist him in the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election came as he grew increasingly frustrated with speculation that he was having trouble finding a legal heavyweight to join his team.
Giuliani, a Republican and ardent supporter of the president, reportedly traveled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Fla. last week to finalize the deal, the AP reported.
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Jay Sekulow, an attorney on Trump’s team, confirmed the hire on Thursday and said Giuliani would be accompanied by former federal prosecutors Jane Serene Raskin and Marty Raskin.
Giuliani told The Washington Post on Thursday that he wanted to help “negotiate an end” to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which Trump has referred to as a “hoax.”
Trump’s legal team had been short-staffed for several weeks, since the departure of attorney John Dowd last month.
The hire came as Trump’s lawyers are said to be negotiating an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump had previously expressed a desire to sit for an interview with investigators, but Dowd cautioned against doing so.