- Donald Trump's advisors say he's is "very upset" that Rudy Giuliani was indicted, Maggie Haberman told CNN.
- But not enough to pay his outstanding legal bills, Haberman added.
Former President Donald Trump's advisors say he was "really worried" and "really upset" that his longtime lawyer and ally Rudy Giuliani would be indicted as one of the 18 of Trump's co-defendants in the Georgia RICO case, Maggie Haberman told CNN.
But not enough to pay him what he's still owed, she noted.
Haberman, a senior political correspondent at the New York Times who's reported on Trump's inner circle, spoke to CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday night after Trump was criminally charged again — this time in a Georgia indictment that was unsealed late Monday.
"One of the ironies right now in the situation around Donald Trump is you will hear some of his advisors say 'He's really upset that Rudy got indicted,' or, leading into this, 'He was really worried about Rudy,'" Haberman told Collins.
"But not so worried that he was going to pay Giuliani's legal bills," Haberman said.
Haberman added that those close to Giuliani will still try to blame the Republican National Committee or former Trump aides for the fact that his legal bills remain unpaid.
But "This is Trump," she said. "According to my reporting, it was Trump who didn't want Giuliani paid unless Giuliani delivered on his promises, and obviously that didn't happen," Haberman said.
Collins pointed out that Giuliani, who once pioneered using RICO law to prosecute organized crime in New York, is now charged with a very similar law in Georgia.
Haberman noted that New York voters who have grown to dislike Giuliani see this as "the ultimate irony," but his supporters in the state see this as a "tragedy."
"It is surreal hearing him say he is really excited about this indictment because I can't imagine that he ever thought it would be fun, or engaging, or a fun fight to be accused of racketeering," Haberman said, calling Giuliani a "renowned national figure for busting mobsters using a similar law."
Haberman also reflected on how the former mayor of New York City ended up here.
"That he has, in a quest basically to be relevant to stay around former President Trump, ended up here is very upsetting to the people who still care about him," she said.