- Trump said Giuliani drank too much and often said things that weren't true, a new book says.
- Trump's aides also reportedly believed Giuliani was almost always buzzed or "in the mumble tank."
- The book said Giuliani had unfettered access despite "deep resentment" toward him in the West Wing.
Former President
That's according to "Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency," by Michael Wolff, an early copy of which was obtained by Insider.
Wolff painted a damning portrait of Giuliani as he was perceived by Trump's aides and even the president himself, to whom Giuliani remains deeply loyal.
"In the days after Giuliani's return, Trump, in a nearly reflective or perhaps slightly shamed moment, explained to a caller that he knew Rudy took a drink too many, and that he was a loose cannon, and that he said a lot of s--- that was not true," the book said. "But Rudy would fight. He could be counted on to fight even when others wouldn't. And, too, he would work for free."
Trump's advisors also reportedly thought Giuliani was almost always buzzed or "in the mumble tank" and believed he was on the verge of senility, Wolff wrote. Still, Giuliani enjoyed unfettered access to Trump despite efforts by the president's aides to block the former New York mayor from the White House, the book said.
"There was not just concern over Rudy in the West Wing, but deep resentment and even hatred of him," Wolff wrote. "'Everything Rudy has touched in the four years of this presidency,' said Matt Morgan in disgust one afternoon as the election challenge began to unfold, 'has gone bad.' You would have been hard pressed to find anyone in Trumpworld who had not thought or said as much."
Wolff's previous reporting about the Trump White House drew scrutiny after journalists and fact-checkers found that some of the details in his first book about the administration didn't add up. Wolff defended the book and said he stood by his reporting. He also said that "Landslide" featured only episodes that Trump's staff had confirmed or that were backed up by multiple sources.
Indeed, the Wall Street Journal journalist Michael Bender reported similar details about Giuliani in his book, "Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost."
According to Bender's book, Trump routinely mocked Giuliani for falling asleep during meetings and gave him harsh feedback on his TV interviews, telling him he "sucked" and was "weak."
Trump's former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen also gave a blunt assessment of Giuliani's character after the FBI raided his property amid a criminal investigation into whether he broke foreign-lobbying laws.
"We have no idea how expansive this investigation is going to ultimately reveal itself because Rudy's an idiot," Cohen told CNN in April. "And that's the problem. Rudy drinks too much, Rudy behaves in such an erratic manner that who knows what's on those telephones or what's on his computers."
Giuliani's legal reputation, meanwhile, has been in freefall since he spearheaded Trump's failed crusade to nullify the results of the 2020 election.
An appellate division of the New York Supreme Court suspended his law license late last month, and a Washington, DC, appeals court followed suit on Wednesday, pending further review.
The New York panel came to its decision after finding that there was "uncontroverted evidence" that Giuliani "communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large" about the 2020 election results.
"These false statements were made to improperly bolster respondent's narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client," the ruling said.
"We conclude that respondent's conduct immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law, pending further proceedings before the Attorney Grievance Committee," it continued.
Giuliani's lawyers John Leventhal and Barry Kamins slammed the ruling as "unprecedented," adding, "We believe that our client does not pose a present danger to the public interest."
"We believe that once the issues are fully explored at a hearing Mr. Giuliani will be reinstated as a valued member of the legal profession that he has served so well in his many capacities for so many years," they added.
Giuliani also defended himself while addressing reporters outside his home in Manhattan. He called the ruling "ridiculous" and added: "How can they say I lied without a hearing? They haven't questioned me."