it is malpractice to credulously repeat Rudy's claim
https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/07/24/twenty-comey-questions-do-not-eliminate-trumps-obstruction-exposure/
As Trumps legal teams shift their efforts to stall Muellers investigation, the press is shifting their problematic reporting on what legal exposure Trump has. As part of its report that Trumps legal team has made a counteroffer to have Trump sit for an interview covering just collusion, the WSJ repeats Rudy Giulianis bullshit that Trumps obstruction only covers the Comey firing.
<<snip>>
By getting a journalist to uncritically parrot Rudys claim that all the obstruction questions pertain to Comey, the White House has buried some of the more egregious examples of obstruction, including (offering pre-emptive pardons to Flynn and Manafort, and whoever else) the gross abuse of the pardon power, and threatening the Attorney General. It also obscures the obstruction for which there are now cooperating witnesses (including, but not limited to, Flynn).
Probably, Trump is trying this ploy because a range of things Manaforts imminent trial, Cohens likely imminent cooperation, Muellers acute focus on Stone, and whatever else Putin told him give him an incentive to have an up-to-date understanding of the current status of the collusion investigation. If he can do that in a way that makes it harder to charge some of the egregious obstruction Trump has been engaged in, all the better.
Whatever it is, it is malpractice to credulously repeat Rudys claim that Trump is only on the hook for obstruction for firing Comey.