Donald Trump’s personal lawyer has been widely mocked for publishing a bizarre and incoherent tweet accompanied by an apparently random video clip.

Rudy Giuliani's apparent effort to attack House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saw him post: “ivesssapology for a video which is allegedly is a caricature of an otherwise halting speech pattern, she should first stop, and apologize for, saying the President needs an ‘intervention.’ Are”

The tweet, at 9.13am US time, was accompanied by a gif of a men’s basketball team.

It was not clear whether he was trying to apologise or whether he was asking Ms Pelosi to apologise.

Nor was it clear what he had intended to write after the “Are”.

ivesssapology for a video which is allegedly is a caricature of an otherwise halting speech pattern, she should first stop, and apologize for, saying the President needs an “intervention.” Are pic.twitter.com/ZpEO7iRzV8 — Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) May 24, 2019

Thousands of users mocked the former New York mayor, with many questioning what prompted the tweet.

One posted: “Ivesss very confused about wtf is happening”, as his attempt to knock the leading Democrat backfired.

Twenty minutes later, Mr Giuliani put out another message in an apparent attempt to clarify his initial post, saying: “Nancy Pelosi wants an apology for a caricature exaggerating her already halting speech pattern. First she should withdraw her charge which hurts our entire nation when she says the President needs an intervention. ‘People who live in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones.’”

Ms Pelosi had questioned the president’s mental stability, suggesting an “intervention” by his family and aides “for the good of the country”.

As Mr Giuliani hit back, many suggested he himself needed “intervention”.

Users highlighted the irony of his trying to refer to Ms Pelosi’s “halting speech pattern” and of his implied accusation of hypocrisy

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Mr Trump had responded to Ms Pelosi, calling her “crazy Nancy”.

In 2017, a tweet by the president referring to negative press “covfefe” went viral. It’s thought he had meant “coverage”.