Giuliani returned to his conservative talk show on Wednesday evening, resuming “The Rudy Giuliani Show” for the first time since being hospitalized earlier this month with viral pneumonia, according to the Associated Press. The 81-year-old opened the program with remarks aimed at reassuring his audience that his health was improving, though he said he was not yet fully recovered.
The earlier hospitalization began in early May, when Giuliani was reported to be in critical condition and placed on a ventilator at a hospital in Palm Beach, Florida. His return to the air came after public reports of his illness drew support and well-wishes from prominent politicians across the political spectrum.
Before moving into the show’s first break, Giuliani also described his gratitude to people who reached out while he was sick. He said he had to thank those who sent prayers and good will, and he specifically mentioned his family, the medical staff who cared for him, and President Donald Trump, whom Giuliani said called him after he became ill.
Giuliani told listeners, “It feels good to be back,” before the broadcast shifted to its regular segments. The Associated Press reported that Giuliani had been hospitalized last September as well, after suffering a fractured vertebra and other injuries in a car crash in New Hampshire.
Beyond the health updates, Giuliani’s return to media also comes amid ongoing controversies tied to his political role. After his eight-year tenure as mayor of New York City—which included the 2001 Sept. 11 attacks—he later ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008 and became a personal attorney and adviser to Trump, the Associated Press said.
The report also recalled that Giuliani had promoted allegations by Trump and his allies that there had been fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which Joe Biden won. Trump and his backers lost lawsuits seeking to overturn the election results, and recounts, reviews and audits found no significant wrongdoing or error, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press further said two former Georgia election workers won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. It added that Giuliani was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets, and that he later reached a deal allowing him to keep his homes and other items, including World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the former election workers.
Giuliani’s long public career has also included honors connected to Trump. The Associated Press reported that last year Trump said he was awarding Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom.