President Donald Trump said he did not direct his lawyer Rudy Giuliani to go to Ukraine and investigate a potential political rival.
"No, I didn't direct him, but he is a warrior, he is a warrior," Trump told Bill O'Reilly during an exclusive interview Tuesday.
Trump had praised Giuliani's credentials Friday during an appearance on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" as an investigator to root out corruption, but the president told O'Reilly to talk to Rudy about what his intentions were in Ukraine.
"You have to ask that to Rudy," Trump told O'Reilly. "I don't even know. I know he was going to Ukraine, and I think he canceled a trip."
"Talk to Rudy" was a frequent statement attributed second hand to the president during the House Intelligence Committee's public impeachment testimony.
"Rudy has other clients, other than me – I'm one person," Trump told O'Reilly.
"He's done a lot of work in Ukraine over the years."
"So you didn't direct him to go there on your behalf?" O'Reilly asked.
"No, but you have to understand Rudy is great corruption fighter," Trump responded.
Giuliani faces federal scrutiny for his activities in Ukraine, including ties to two people indicted for campaign finance violations, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman.
"I am defending my client the best way I know how," Giuliani told ABC News "This Week" in late September. "This is not about getting Joe Biden in trouble. This is about proving that Donald Trump was framed by the Democrats."
O'Reilly is author of "The United States of Trump: How the President Really Sees America," which includes exclusive interviews with the president.
Teasing another nugget from his interview with the president Tuesday, O'Reilly tweeted:
"The president went on to say that if VP Biden gets the nomination, Trump will make the Hunter Biden stuff a main point in their debates and the campaign."
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