Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani sparred with MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart during a wide-ranging interview Saturday.
Capehart, who was hosting “AM Joy,” spoke with President Donald Trump’s personal attorney about his involvement with Ukrainian member of parliament Andrii Derkach, who was sanctioned last week and named as a Russian agent. (RELATED: ‘They’re Gonna Get Shot’: Rudy Giuliani Blasts De Blasio’s Plan To ‘Take The Community Back’ Without Police)
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“So why were you working with a Russian agent to interfere with the 2020 election?” Capehart began the interview.
Giuliani argued that he wasn’t “working with a Russian agent,” saying that he had been interviewing Derkach and that he was not aware that he was a Russian agent. Giuliani also noted the report he filed subsequent to the three interviews he did with Derkach had gone to the State Department five months prior to the Treasury Department announcing sanctions against him.
Giuliani went on to say that Derkach had been helpful in shedding light on foreign aid funds that had been previously unaccounted for, drawing a line from the missing funds to George Soros.
Capehart attempted to interrupt several times and change the direction of the conversation, but Giuliani continued.
“How come we’re not covering the Mueller tapes that were wiped out? 12 Mueller prosecutors —” Giuliani asked, referencing the phones belonging to members of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team that had been reset or wiped clean before U.S. Attorney John Durham and his team were able to review them.
Capehart interrupted then, saying, “I’m going to pull you out of the weeds and out of the conspiracy theories. I need to talk to you —”
“No, no, you’re not going to pull me out of the weeds!” Giuliani shot back, adding, “I’m going to stay right where I am because we’re going to try to have fair coverage.”
Capehart pressed Giuliani again on his claim that he did not know Derkach was a Russian agent, arguing that he should have been aware.
“How could you not know?” Capehart asked. “You’re a former prosecutor, you have a national security firm. How could you not know that this person you were talking to was a known Russian agent? Who graduated from KGB schools?”
“Jonathan, calm down. I —” Giuliani began.
“Answer the question,” Capehart pressed again.
“I do not have access — don’t yell at me, Jonathan. That isn’t dignified. Pretend to give fair coverage. Pretend,” Giuliani continued. “I know you won’t cover the obstruction of justice by the 12 Mueller prosecutors who wiped their phones clean.”