WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday defended his personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, who is under investigation by federal prosecutors for his dealings in Ukraine, as “a great crime fighter.”
“I think Rudy is a great gentleman,” Mr. Trump said. “He’s been a great crime fighter. He looks for corruption wherever he goes.”
As Mr. Giuliani has come under scrutiny over possible violations of foreign lobbying laws, the Justice Department has distanced itself from him, and Trump allies and White House officials have expressed concern about his central role in the House’s impeachment inquiry.
But Mr. Trump has steadfastly defended him, even as he has been sidelined from the pugnacious television appearances that Mr. Trump, alone, appreciated. And on Friday, the president once again indicated that his support for Mr. Giuliani was not wavering, as it often had in the past when other aides become embroiled in legal problems of their own.
“He was the greatest mayor in the history of New York and he’s been one of the greatest crime fighters and corruption fighters,” Mr. Trump said. “Rudy Giuliani is a good man.”
Mr. Trump’s comments came as Mr. Giuliani has been sidelined from television appearances and the White House has been looking to add new communications aides to its team dedicated to dealing with impeachment.
On Friday, as he traveled to Columbia, S.C., to participate in a forum on criminal justice reform, Mr. Trump also expressed confidence in the support he has from Republicans on Capitol Hill, even as he has been lambasting Republicans for their inability to “stick together” the way he claims Democrats are able to do.
“We have great, great support,” he said, referring to a failed vote to censure Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. “We had 185 out of 185 of the other night, the Republican congressmen. I think we had 185 present and we had 185 positive votes. And with the senators, we’re doing great, too.”
In reality, Republican lawmakers have been struggling to defend Mr. Trump on the substance of the allegations made by witness after witness, and instead have been making a weaker argument that finds fault in the process of the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry.
Mr. Trump on Friday also leveled another attack on William B. Taylor Jr., the administration’s top diplomat in Ukraine, who earlier this week in closed-door testimony laid out the most explicit account to date of a quid pro quo connecting Mr. Trump’s delivery of military assistance to Ukraine, and an Oval Office meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, to an investigation by the Ukranians of his political rivals.
“He’s a Never Trumper,” Mr. Trump said without mentioning Mr. Taylor by name. “His lawyer is the head of the Never Trumpers. They’re a dying breed but they’re still there.”
He chalked up his job in the administration to a mistake made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who hired him.