There’s a reason, though, that oppo research firms exist. No one could claim an abuse of power if the Trump campaign hired such an operation to thoroughly vet Hunter Biden’s various ventures, and spread damaging material to media outlets. If the campaign wanted to be just a little clever, it could take a page from Hillary Clinton 2016 and use a law firm as a cut-out.

Did no one think of that? Trump is, obviously, responsible for his own decisions and conduct, but it’s truly bizarre that it was the president’s personal lawyer, of all people, who has his fingerprints all over this.

Giuliani was a great mayor of New York City and an accomplished prosecutor, but somewhere along the line lost sight of such basic axioms as a lawyer should keep his client from needless risk, not expose him to it; a lawyer should tap the brakes on, not jam the accelerator for, dodgy plans; a lawyer should calmly explain issues, rather than blow them up in extravagant media appearances.