---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of…"
description: "\"Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of interest into any Senate confirmation hearing that would be impossible to clear if confirmation hearings operate..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_clear_rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-i_2696356.jpg"
---

#  Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of interest into any…

![“Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of interest into any Senate confirmation hearing that would be impossible to clear if confirmation hearings operate under the same gravitational forces that they used to in the pre-Trump era.” quote by Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_clear_rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-i_2696356.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_clear_rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-i_2696356.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_clear_rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-i_2696356.jpg)

> “Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of interest into any Senate confirmation hearing that would be impossible to clear if confirmation hearings operate under the same gravitational forces that they used to in the pre-Trump era.”

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker claims that Giuliani's conflicts would be unresolvable under current Senate rules, implying a double standard compared to earlier eras.

**In simple terms:** Giuliani's conflicts would be impossible to clear now.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address double standards.

Themes

politics ethics conflict of interest

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political commentary opinion.

When to use this quote

- Senate hearings
- media analysis
- public policy debates

Key Concepts

institutional bias accountability historical comparison

Questions to Reflect On

- How do standards for conflicts of interest evolve?
- Are there mechanisms to ensure fairness across eras?

A Different Perspective

Assumes all pre‑Trump hearings were free of bias, which may not be true.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Conflict of interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict-of-interest/) [Eras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eras/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [ Rudy Giuliani is on the list \[of Secretary of State \] not because of competence, not because of foreign policy experience, he's on most… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/rudy-giuliani-is-on-the-list-of-secretary-of-state-not-because-of/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [In pre-Trump Washington where the old rules applied, Rudy Giuliani could never survive the Senate confirmation process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/in-pre-trump-washington-where-the-old-rules-applied-rudy-giuliani/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [ His \[Rudolph Giuliani\] marital life became unhinged with his wife kicking him out of the mayor's residence of Gracie mansion. That he took up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/his-rudolph-giuliani-marital-life-became-unhinged-with-his-wife/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Rudy Giuliani needed to feel safe because he turned his life into a public mess. A public mess that the "New York Tabloids" covered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/rudy-giuliani-needed-to-feel-safe-because-he-turned-his-life-into-a/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [I would recommend any American who wants to understand where the government is going in the next four years of George W. Bush presidency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/i-would-recommend-any-american-who-wants-to-understand-where-the/)

[Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/)

> [We have had a lot of whistle-blowing going on out of the Department of Homeland Security, low morale. I want to make sure \[John…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/we-have-had-a-lot-of-whistle-blowing-going-on-out-of-the-department/)

[Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/)

> [I would like to see someone with more traditional foreign policy experience and, obviously, his views and attitudes towards Russia will be a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-lowry/i-would-like-to-see-someone-with-more-traditional-foreign-policy/)

[Rich Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-lowry/)

> [As we watched Judge Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court confirmation hearings, all of the commentators said the same thing: 'One of these people in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/as-we-watched-judge-clarence-thomas-s-supreme-court-confirmation/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [ Republican hawks like John McCain and Lindsey Graham who are very skeptical of \[Rex Tillerson\]. At the same time the Democrats will portray him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-lowry/republican-hawks-like-john-mccain-and-lindsey-graham-who-are-very/)

[Rich Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-lowry/)

> [The president-elect Donald Trump moved a bit closer to getting his Cabinet in place with another round of confirmation hearings. The most contentious was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/the-president-elect-donald-trump-moved-a-bit-closer-to-getting-his/)

[Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/)

> [ I'm going to wait for the confirmation hearings. I'm familiar with General \[John Francis \] Kelly because of my work on the Armed Services… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-m-going-to-wait-for-the-confirmation-hearings-i-m-familiar-with/)

[Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/)

> [Hypocrisy, something Jesus railed against, has become perhaps the most prominent feature of the religious right in the Trump era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-powers/hypocrisy-something-jesus-railed-against-has-become-perhaps-the-most/)

[Kirsten Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-powers/)

> [Kentucky has long been Democratic at the state level but that trend had completely reversed in the Trump era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/kentucky-has-long-been-democratic-at-the-state-level-but-that-trend/)

[Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/)

> [In the Trump era, the Left has smartly and justifiably seized a moral high ground that the Right has abandoned by its embrace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bari-weiss/in-the-trump-era-the-left-has-smartly-and-justifiably-seized-a-moral/)

[Bari Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bari-weiss/)

## More by Lawrence O'Donnell

> [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses say when they leave the grand jury room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-witnesses-say-when/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [ In this case, the government will essentially be run by the people who are running it now. The top level \[Barack\] Obama appointees will… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/in-this-case-the-government-will-essentially-be-run-by-the-people-who/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [I've never understood the value of putting someone on television to lie, knowing that they're going to lie ahead of time, knowing that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-ve-never-understood-the-value-of-putting-someone-on-television-to/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [The Trump view of immigration defies our history. Immigration is a transaction that has historically benefited the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-trump-view-of-immigration-defies-our-history-immigration-is-a/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [ I don't think anybody knows it was Russia that broke into the DNC. She \[Hillary Clinton\] is saying Russia, Russia, Russia. Maybe it was.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-don-t-think-anybody-knows-it-was-russia-that-broke-into-the-dnc-she/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [If a reader comes across a story that makes them cry, you can be sure that the writer felt every single thing that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-a-reader-comes-across-a-story-that-makes-them-cry-you-can-be-sure/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [National security advisors are not there to be advocates, generally. They're not there to be partisans, they're not there to be ideologues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/national-security-advisors-are-not-there-to-be-advocates-generally/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Never once has Republican world said hey, maybe we should look into how police officers are carrying out their solemn public responsibility to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/never-once-has-republican-world-said-hey-maybe-we-should-look-into/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [When Ronald Reagan nominated Jeff Sessions for federal district court judgeship, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his nomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/when-ronald-reagan-nominated-jeff-sessions-for-federal-district-court/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Show business comes with wonderfully long vacations, like the life of a college professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/show-business-comes-with-wonderfully-long-vacations-like-the-life-of/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [It is amazing that Jeff Sessions is still in the job. Any self-respecting Attorney General of the United States would have publicly resigned as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/it-is-amazing-that-jeff-sessions-is-still-in-the-job-any-self/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Melania Trump's husband tweeted this: "Arianna Huffington is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/melania-trump-s-husband-tweeted-this-arianna-huffington-is/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

[Explore all 214 Lawrence O'Donnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

## More Clear quotes

> [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/)

[Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/)

> [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/)

[Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [Clear moments are so short. There is much more darkness. More ocean than terra firma. More shadow than form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/clear-moments-are-so-short-there-is-much-more-darkness-more-ocean/)

[Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/)

> [I try to listen to all music with an open head, a clear head, try not to say just because I don't know it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghostface-killah/i-try-to-listen-to-all-music-with-an-open-head-a-clear-head-try-not/)

[Ghostface Killah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghostface-killah/)

> [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/)

[Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/)

> [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/)

[John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/)

> [I've always made it clear that I do not believe that global government is either necessary or feasible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-always-made-it-clear-that-i-do-not-believe-that-global/)

[Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/)

> [The moment it begins to question itself, the mind becomes so clear that it starts working with itself rather than with the body's identification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/the-moment-it-begins-to-question-itself-the-mind-becomes-so-clear/)

[Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/)

> [Alec Wilkinson is a spare, clear, and lucid writer who works in stylistic simplicity with material that is not simple at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/alec-wilkinson-is-a-spare-clear-and-lucid-writer-who-works-in/)

[Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/)

> [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/)

[James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/)

Browse all 7,410 Clear quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of interest into any Senate confirmation hearing that would be impossible to clear if confirmation hearings operate under the same gravitational forces that they used to in the pre-Trump era.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lawrence O'Donnell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-interest-into-any-senate/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Clear"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-interest-into-any-senate/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_clear_rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-i_2696356.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_clear_rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-i_2696356.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8d/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_clear_rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-i_2696356.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of interest into any Senate confirmation hearing that would be…” — Lawrence O'Donnell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lawrence O'Donnell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Rudy Giuliani would bring conflicts of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-interest-into-any-senate/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/rudy-giuliani-would-bring-conflicts-of-interest-into-any-senate/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
