Trump chided Hannity over Giuliani interview: report

President Trump grew frustrated with Sean Hannity after the Fox News host’s interview last week with Rudy Giuliani, The Associated Press reported.
Trump was reportedly bothered that Hannity used the word “funneled” during the interview with Giuliani. But a review of the transcript shows that Giuliani and Hannity were talking about two different things.
Giuliani was describing a payment Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement related to an affair Daniels says she had with Trump in 2006.
{mosads}On Hannity’s show last week, Giuliani claimed that Cohen’s $130,000 payment did not constitute a campaign finance law violation.
“Because they funneled it through a law firm?” Hannity asked.
“Funneled it through a law firm, and the president repaid him,” Giuliani said.
But Hannity’s question about funneling payments through a law firm pertained to Democrats funneling money through a law firm to pay for the so-called Steele dossier.
Giuliani’s revelation that Trump reimbursed Cohen contradicted the president’s past statement that he was unaware of the $130,000 payment or where the money for it came from.
The president has since acknowledged that he paid Cohen a monthly retainer, which he said was used to cover the cost of the payment to Daniels.
The White House has denied that the payment violated campaign finance laws.
Hannity is one of Trump’s strongest allies. He frequently defends Trump on his show, and the two reportedly speak regularly. Cohen represents both men, though Hannity disputed that characterization, saying he only sought real estate advice.
This article was updated and clarified at 12:35 p.m.
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