President Joe Biden says he was not aware ahead of time that the FBI would be executing search warrants at the home and office of Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the attorney for former President Donald Trump.
"I give you my word I was not," Biden told TODAY's Craig Melvin in an exclusive interview on Thursday. "I made a pledge — I would not interfere or in any way order or try to stop any investigation the Justice Department had underway.
"I learned about that last night when the rest of the world learned about it. My word. I had no idea this was underway."
Biden added that he has not been briefed on any investigations involving Giuliani.
"And I'm not asking to be briefed," he said. "I'm not asking to be briefed. That’s the Justice Department's independent judgment.
"This last administration politicized the Justice Department so badly so many of them quit, so many of them left because that’s not the role of the president to say who should be prosecuted, when they should be prosecuted, who should not be prosecuted - that’s not the role of the president. The Justice Department is the people's lawyer, not the president’s lawyer."
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Prosecutors have been investigating Giuliani, who is Trump's personal attorney, for his dealings in Ukraine.
Giuliani was a prominent figure in the events in Ukraine that led to Trump's first impeachment, which was related to an effort to try to dig up dirt on Biden as he was running for president.
To see more of Biden's only interview following Wednesday night's address before a joint session of Congress, tune in to TODAY on Friday morning.
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