NEW YORK (AP) — A series of seemingly authoritative assertions in recent weeks about the shape and scope of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian election interference has helped define it in the public eye.

But none of those pronouncements about Mueller's probe were made by Mueller.

They were made by President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani, who has used a media blitz to frequently set the goalposts of the investigation.

Giuliani has made public declarations about the probe to color its perception among voters and lawmakers, all while confident that Mueller will never speak up to correct him.

The former New York City mayor said Thursday: "Our strategy is: When we weren't talking, we were losing."

There is no evidence that Giuliani's rhetoric has influenced the special counsel.