Rudy Giuliani has gone ballistic over Twitter following a BuzzFeed News report alleging that President Trump told former attorney Michael Cohen to lie about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow - only to have special counsel Robert Mueller's office issue a rare statement denying the report's validity.
"BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements to the Special Counsel’s Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s Congressional testimony are not accurate," said the statement by the Special Counsel, which was clarified by the Washington Post to mean the entire report.
How many people were exposed to this Buzzfeed story, believe it to be true and won’t see that Robert Mueller has directly called it "not accurate"? There’s no denying the media’s proliferation of fake news. They try to shape public opinion & shift votes with these fake stories. pic.twitter.com/ylZcpNqNmA
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 19, 2019
On Friday night, Giuliani praised Mueller's office for "correcting the BuzzFeed false story that Pres. Trump encouraged cohen to lie." He then called for the DOJ to "reveal the leakers of this false BuzzFeed story which the press and Democrats gleefully embraced."
I commend Bob Mueller’s office for correcting the BuzzFeed false story that Pres. Trump encouraged Cohen to lie. I ask the press to take heed that their hysterical desire to destroy this President has gone too far. They pursued this without critical analysis all day. #FAKENEWS
— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) January 19, 2019
Now the DOJ must reveal the leakers of this false BuzzFeed story which the press and Democrats gleefully embraced. And maybe House Dems should wait to investigate until the Mueller report is filed. 4 have started already.There may be nothing to legitimately investigate.
— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) January 19, 2019
President Trump also slammed BuzzFeed Friday night, telling his 57.5 million Twitter followers: "Remember it was Buzzfeed that released the totally discredited “Dossier,” paid for by Crooked Hillary Clinton and the Democrats (as opposition research), on which the entire Russian probe is based!"
Remember it was Buzzfeed that released the totally discredited “Dossier,” paid for by Crooked Hillary Clinton and the Democrats (as opposition research), on which the entire Russian probe is based! A very sad day for journalism, but a great day for our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2019
BuzzFeed editor-in-chief, Ben Smith, said in a statement that the outlet stands "by our reporting and the sources who informed it," and called on Mueller "to make clear what he's disputing."
To which Mueller's team told WaPo: all of it.
