Biden on Giuliani raid: 'I had no idea this was underway'

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President Biden said he did not know about the FBI plans to raid the home of former President Trump's personal attorney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani before it happened, and that he learned of the operation "when the rest of the world learned about it." 

NBC News asked Biden in a Thursday interview if he was aware of the FBI raid on Giuliani's home beforehand.

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"I give you my word I was not," Biden replied. "I made a pledge. I would not interfere in any way 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." 

NBC's Craig Melvin then asked the president whether he had been notified by the Justice Department of other ongoing investigations.

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"No, and I'm not asking to be briefed," Biden said. "I'm not asking to be briefed. That's the Justice Department's independent judgement. This last administration politicized the Justice Department so badly that so many quit, so many left because that's not the role — not the role of a 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," he noted.

Members of the media are reflected in the widow a door as New York City Police officers walk out of the apartment building where former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani resides, Wednesday, April 28, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The FBI raided Giuliani's Manhattan apartment early Wednesday morning, seizing electronic devices as part its investigation into whether he violated the Foreign Agent Registration Act in his alleged dealings with Ukraine. 

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Giuliani's son, Andrew Giuliani, called the feds' raid "absurd." Giuliani's lawyer said it was "totally unnecessary" and was carried out to "make him look like he's some sort of criminal."

Giuliani has not been charged with any crimes.

Giuliani will join "Tucker Carlson Tonight" for his first interview since the raid. You can watch the interview here.