Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor known for his leadership after the September 11 attacks and his later role as a fierce defender of Donald Trump, was hospitalized in critical but stable condition, his spokesman Ted Goodman said Sunday. Goodman did not disclose the reason for the hospitalization, how long Giuliani has been there, or his prognosis.
“Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he’s fighting with that same level of strength as we speak,” Goodman said in a statement. He added that Giuliani “remains in critical but stable condition.”
The hospitalization came days after Giuliani appeared on his nightly online talk show, “America’s Mayor Live,” on Friday evening with a noticeably hoarse voice. As he began the program, he coughed and remarked, “My voice is a little under the weather, so I won’t be able to speak as loudly as I usually do, but I’ll get closer to the microphone.”
Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, calling Giuliani “a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR.” Trump also repeated his claim that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent, writing, “They cheated on the Elections, fabricated hundreds of stories, did anything possible to destroy our Nation, and now, look at Rudy. So sad!” Dozens of lawsuits filed by Trump and his allies after the election were dismissed, and numerous recounts and audits found no evidence of significant wrongdoing.
Giuliani’s health has been a recurring concern. He was hospitalized last September with a fractured vertebra and other injuries after a car crash in New Hampshire.
Giuliani was elected mayor of New York City in 1993 and served two terms. He was widely praised for his steady leadership after the 9/11 attacks, earning him the title “America’s mayor.” After leaving office, he ran for president in 2008 and later became a prominent surrogate and adviser to Trump.
As Trump’s personal attorney after the 2020 election, Giuliani spearheaded legal efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory, promoting unproven allegations of voter fraud. Those efforts resulted in a $148 million defamation judgment won by two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, after Giuliani falsely accused them of processing fraudulent ballots. Giuliani later reached a settlement that allowed him to keep his homes and prized World Series rings, among other assets, in exchange for unspecified compensation and an agreement to stop speaking ill of the women.
A native New Yorker and former federal prosecutor, Giuliani gained national fame for taking on mobsters and corrupt financiers before launching his mayoral campaign.