Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday fumed at special counsel Jack Smith for indicting former President Donald Trump over his role in trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.
During an evening appearance on the conservative media network, Newsmax, Giuliani — who is facing disbarment and has been identified as the unnamed “Co-Conspirator 1” in the plot to challenge President Joe Biden’s victory — argued that the special counsel’s team should be indicted for criminally charging the ex-president.
“The people lying are the people bringing this … They should be indicted for conspiracy against rights,” Giuliani ranted, referring to a civil rights law included in the indictment related to Trump’s alleged attempt to disenfranchise voters by trying to overturn the election
Host Eric Bolling responded by cautioning the former New York City mayor, who could still be charged in the case, according to legal experts.
“I guess you have to be careful what you say. He still is the special investigator, the special prosecutor,” Bolling warned.
“I long ago stopped being careful and I don’t worry about the Jack Smiths of this world,” Giuliani responded. “I have a chapter in my book called ‘Stand Up to Bullies’, so here’s what I say to Jack Smith.”
“After the Supreme Court threw out your case, which should have been a disgrace … you should have gone and found another profession because you don’t belong in this one,” Giuliani said, referring to the Supreme Court vacating Smith’s conviction of former Republican Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. “This one will be your legacy, violating the rights of free speech of an American citizen. Nevermind whether he was president or not.”
“It could be anybody. It could be a homeless person. You don’t get to violate people’s first amendment rights, Smith,” Giuliani ranted. “No matter who the hell you are, no matter how sick you are with Trump derangement syndrome.”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve acted like an unethical lawyer,” Giuliani said while waving a copy of Trump’s indictment in front of the camera. “It should be the last.”
Watch Rudy Giuliani’s head explode live on TV. (Video: Newsmax) pic.twitter.com/eNJzGV1PU8
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) August 2, 2023
Trump on Tuesday was hit with four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. The charges marked the former president’s second federal indictment and his third overall, indicating that he will remain mired in legal trouble for the foreseeable future, even amid his campaign for the presidency.
The indictment also alleged that Trump had six co-conspirators “assist him in his criminal efforts to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election and retain power.” While Trump’s collaborators — which include four lawyers, one Justice Department official, and one political adviser — were not formally named or charged in the indictment, legal experts and reporters were able to discern most of the identities through descriptions provided by prosecutors.
Giuliani political adviser Ted Goodman told The Washington Post that the indictment criminalized the act of “daring to ask questions about the 2020 election results.”
“Every fact Mayor Rudy Giuliani possesses about this case establishes the good faith basis President Donald Trump had for the actions he took during the two-month period charged in the indictment,” Goodman said.
