White House insists they ‘love’ Giuliani amid reports Trump has ordered aides not to pay him

Mr Giuliani has denied requesting legal fees of $20,000 per day

The White House insists Donald Trump still loves "America's Mayor!" after reports the president is trying to avoid paying Rudy Giuliani’s legal fees.

Quoting two officials, The Washington Post reported that Mr Trump instructed aides not to pay legal fees owing to Mr Giuliani, who reportedly requested $20,000 per day during the height of the election lawsuits.

While Mr Giuliani did not immediately respond to The Independent's request for comment, Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller suggested in a tweet that his relationship with the president was still strong.

"Just spoke with President Trump, and he told me that @RudyGiuliani is a great guy and a Patriot who devoted his services to the country!" Mr Miller said.

"We all love America’s Mayor!"

Mr Giuliani, who  “liked” the tweet, is just one of the inner circle Mr Trump has seemingly turned on, with The New York Times reporting that the president has refused to take his calls while corroborating the Post’s reporting that Trump wanted “to stiff Rudy”.

As Mr Trump prepares his legal team to defend against a second impeachment, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters the president is considering hiring law professor John Eastman, who joined Mr Giuliani on stage at the “Save America Rally”.

Mr Giuliani suggested “trial by combat” during the rally, later telling The Hill  he was referencing Game of Thrones.

“I was referencing the kind of trial that took place for Tyrion in that very famous documentary about fictitious medieval England,” Mr Giuliani said on Tuesday.

“When Tyrion, who is a very small man, is accused of murder. He didn't commit murder, he can't defend himself, and he hires a champion to defend him,” he added.

Following a string of legal challenges that failed to keep Mr Trump in the White House and Mr Eastman also being considered for a role on Mr Trump’s impeachment defence team, today’s reporting suggests Mr Giuliani may no longer be the president’s “champion”  

Asked whether he would be willing, Mr Eastman said: “If the President of the United States asked me to consider helping him, I would certainly give it consideration.”