<em>The Atlantic</em> Politics Daily: The Other Giuliani Who Works for Trump

Read Elaina’s full story on the unusual career arc of the junior Giuliani.

As a reminder: Giuliani (the elder) faces allegations that he executed a shadow foreign policy in asking the Ukrainians to dig up dirt on Joe Biden and his son. Giuliani’s alleged hand in one certain quid pro quo, a key part of the whistle-blower complaint that first brought the scandal to light.

But when Elaina talked to Giuliani in late September shortly after Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry, he didn’t see it that way. Between rants about the Bidens, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, the media, and the deep state, Giuliani told her: “It is impossible that the whistle-blower is a hero and I’m not.”

During the impeachment hearings last week, witnesses repeatedly pointed to Giuliani, who’s reportedly under investigation himself, as the Trump associate out to undermine career diplomats.

But even as Trump has disposed of adviser after adviser, he hasn’t yet stabbed Giuliani in the back. He might have more to lose from canning Giuliani than by keeping him around, my colleague David Graham has argued.

—Saahil Desai

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First, a quick review of some weekend activity:

‣ Trump granted pardons to three servicemen accused or convicted of war crimes: He wants his warfighters “unconstrained by modern laws of armed conflict,” Graeme Wood writes.

‣ The White House announced the recipients of the National Medal of Arts award. The choices demonstrate how even arts awards are being bent to the president’s political preferences, writes Peter Nicholas, who first learned about these picks last week.

‣ Pete Buttigieg surged to the top of the Democratic field in one new poll out of Iowa. But “his ascent is driving a wedge between Iowa progressives,” Elaine Godfrey has reported. Here’s what they told her.

The week ahead:

‣ Tuesday, November 19: Alexander Vindman, a vice presidential aide Jennifer Williams, Kurt Volker, and Tim Morrison are all scheduled to testify in the first day of a marathon of public impeachment hearings this week.

‣ Wednesday, November 20: Gordon Sondland, whom many are eyeing as the marquee witness this week, will testify. He’ll need to get his story straight. Also on the schedule: Laura Cooper and David Hale, a high-ranking state department official.

The fifth of the Democratic presidential debates will feature 10 candidates—no new faces.

‣ Thursday, November 21: The final day of scheduled public hearings will feature Fiona Hill and David Holmes, both of whom seemed to have front-row seats to the administration’s alleged shadow Ukraine diplomacy.

‣ Friday, November 22: Twitter’s ban on political advertising is scheduled to go into effect. The company’s decision contrasts with Facebook’s, but doubt anyone who has full confidence about whether one stance or the other is correct, Conor Friedersdorf has argued.