MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Give Rudy Giuliani this: He knows how to make an entrance. The former New York City mayor, 2008 presidential candidate and longtime pal of President Donald Trump has been on the job as a legal adviser to the President for exactly two weeks. But, in that fortnight, he has managed to repeatedly inject himself directly into the center of the news cycle — the latest example being his revelation on Wednesday [5-2-18] night that Trump reimbursed Michael Cohen for the $130,000 hush payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Giuliani has also taken the lead on laying out the preconditions that he says would be necessary for Trump to sit down with special counsel Bob Mueller and emerged as the top attack dog against former FBI Director James Comey. And he even revealed on Thursday [5-3-18] morning that the Trump administration had successfully negotiated the release of three US prisoners from North Korea — even though the releases have not been formally announced. It’s a remarkably fast rise for someone who was discarded to the ash heap of history following his lackluster national bid a decade ago. Giuliani was seen as one of the front-runners in the race, only to quit without winning a single state. “
-Chris Cillizza, “Rudy Giuliani is the most important person in the White House not named Donald Trump,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, May 3, 2018 1:56 pm