Rudy Giuliani Calls Adam Schiff 'Traitor' Who Should Be Removed From Congress

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani accused Representative Adam Schiff of being "a traitor" and suggested he should be removed from Congress over claims about collusion between Russia and former President Donald Trump.

Giuliani made the comments on Thursday in an interview with Newsmax. The Republican former mayor took aim at Schiff and said that there is a "coup" that's being carried out through the investigation into the events of January 6.

His comments come after Schiff, a Democrat who represents California's 28th district, told MSNBC on Monday that the House Select Committee probing January 6 is "deeply interested" in Giuliani.

Giuliani spoke to Newsmax's Rob Schmitt Tonightabout the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia that culminated in the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Schmitt told Giuliani: "To me, this is one of the greatest assaults ever put on to - politically - put on to a president."

"No question about it," Giuliani agreed. "This is really a coup that they carried right through to their exaggeration of January 6, which they're still carrying on, keeping those people in prison the way you would in a fascist country."

"It's been one fraud after another," Giuliani went on. "You mentioned Adam Schiff. Why doesn't anyone ask him who are those two people and that piece of paper that he said would direct - had direct evidence of Donald Trump being involved in Russian collusion? I'd like to see that piece of paper."

"Or if he can't produce it and there are no people, maybe they should throw him out of the Congress because he's a damn liar," he said.

"And he also is a traitor," Giuliani went on. "Because to make a charge like that against a president hurts the United States of America."

Giuliani appeared to be referring to claims Schiff had made saying there was "direct evidence" of collusion.

The Democrat told CBS News in 2019: "I think there is direct evidence in the emails from the Russians through their intermediary offering dirt on Hillary Clinton as part of what is described in writing as the Russian government effort to help elect Donald Trump."

The special counsel's investigation found there was insufficient evidence to charge any member of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Mueller told the House Judiciary Committee in July 2019 that Trump "was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed."

"We did not address 'collusion,' which is not a legal term," Mueller said. "Rather, we focused on whether the evidence was sufficient to charge any member of the campaign with taking part in a criminal conspiracy. It was not."

On Monday, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell asked Schiff why the House Select Committee hadn't subpoenaed Giuliani. Schiff is a member of the select committee as well as chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

Schiff said he wouldn't "read too much into" the lack of a subpoena for the former mayor.

"We're deeply interested in Mr. Giuliani and his pivotal role in this plot to overturn the election," Schiff said. "Because obviously he was deeply involved in these bogus legal cases brought around the country and he has very important information the committee wants."

Newsweek has asked Representative Adam Schiff's office for comment.