When Fox News makes a news alert out of a Democratic guest’s statement that Rudy Giuliani “has to be replaced,” it’s probably not out of concern for what a Democrat thinks.
Attorney Lanny Davis is rarely a firebrand of a Democrat. In fact, he is or was a Fox News contributor whom we have seen talking up Sarah Palin, George W. Bush’s torture program and claiming, “Democrats are looking at Fox as a fair and balanced network."
On Fox News Sunday today, Davis sounded more like he was auditioning for the job to replace Giuliani than advocating on behalf of Democrats. Rather than point out how Giuliani exemplified the dishonesty and ineptitude of the Trump administration this week, Davis positioned himself as a concerned friend:
DAVIS: [Giuliani’s] a crisis manager by his own description. And he committed three cardinal violations of crisis management, which I also do.
Number one is don't make matters worse for a client and I think by what he said on television, he has exposed President Trump to possible prosecution for those two crimes. Secondly, I do believe that he's waived attorney-client privilege to the extent that he mentioned conversations with the client. That's a waiver.
And third, don't underestimate your adversary. I know Bob Mueller and I know Ken Starr, and to paraphrase a famous expression, Bob Mueller is no Ken Starr. He's not holding press conferences with a cup of coffee every morning and you are going to get a much different conduct pattern from Bob Mueller then you had from Ken Starr.
Even Davis’ call for Giuliani to be replaced seemed like a suggestion as to how Trump could save face while getting rid of Giuiani. Host Chris Wallace's response sounded as though he wanted to hear more, rather than like a real challenge.
DAVIS: In fact, the only good news for Donald Trump is that by his words on television, I think Rudy Giuliani has to be replaced, because he is now going to be a fact witness and has to respond to a subpoena for what he said to the president on issue of factual dispute as to what the motive was of the loan.
WALLACE: Do you think Rudy Giuliani already is going to have to be replaced?
DAVIS: I think there's at least an argument that by speaking publicly about a conversation with the president, he becomes a fact witness on a crucial question: Was the personal loan that now President Trump admits that he gave to Michael Cohen, and was reimbursing Michael Cohen, is a word that Rudy Giuliani used, that's a fact that needs to be questioned in front of a grand jury on the issue of whether it was a political –
Given that producers usually have an idea of what a guest will say before he or she goes on the air, I have to wonder whether Davis wasn’t chosen so that Fox could outsource to a Democrat the task of delivering a “Giuliani must go” message. After all, many Fox Trumpers have already been fairly critical of him.
Regardless of the plan, Fox certainly seized on Davis’ suggestion. The network sent it out as a news push this morning:
It’s also a (small) headline on FoxNews.com as I write this.
It looks like Fox is sending a message to its Fan in Chief.
Watch Davis below, from the May 6, 2018 Fox News Sunday.