Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and a onetime adviser to President Donald Trump, has been hospitalized and is in critical but stable condition, his spokesman confirmed on Sunday.
Spokesman Provides Update
Ted Goodman, Giuliani's spokesman, did not disclose the reason for the 81-year-old's hospitalization or how long he has been receiving care. In a statement shared on social media, Goodman said: "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." He added that Giuliani "remains in critical but stable condition."
Recent Broadcast and Health Concerns
Giuliani hosted his online program, "America’s Mayor Live," on Friday night from Palm Beach, Florida. During the broadcast, he appeared to cough and his voice sounded unusually hoarse. He 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."
Background and Legacy
Giuliani earned the nickname "America’s mayor" for his leadership in New York City following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He later served as Trump's personal attorney and became a vocal advocate of Trump's unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which Democrat Joe Biden won. Trump and his supporters filed numerous lawsuits alleging fraud, but all were dismissed, and multiple recounts and audits confirmed no significant irregularities.
Trump's Reaction
On Sunday, Trump posted on his social media platform: "Our fabulous Rudy Giuliani, a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR, has been hospitalized, and is in critical condition. What a tragedy that he was treated so badly by the Radical Left Lunatics, Democrats ALL — AND HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING! They cheated on the Elections, fabricated hundreds of stories, did anything possible to destroy our Nation, and now, look at Rudy. So sad!"
Legal and Health Issues
Two former Georgia election workers won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. As they sought to collect, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial over ownership of some assets. He eventually reached a deal allowing him to keep his homes and belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a pledge to stop disparaging the former election workers.
Giuliani was previously hospitalized in September after fracturing a vertebra and suffering other injuries in a car crash in New Hampshire.
Giuliani was elected New York's mayor in 1993 after serving as a high-profile prosecutor who took on mobsters and corrupt Wall Street traders. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2000 but abandoned his campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
