Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is hospitalized in critical but stable condition in Florida, his spokesperson confirmed. His medical diagnosis was not made public.
“Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he’s fighting with that same strength now,” spokesman Ted Goodman said in a statement.
Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized on Sunday, May 3, after he sounded hoarse during his talk show. He told his audience that he was “a little under the weather.”
“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,” he said during his “America’s Mayor Live” podcast on Friday.
Giuliani, a Republican, served as New York City mayor from 1994-2001. He was widely criticized for his decision to locate the New York City Office of Emergency Management headquarters on the 23rd floor of the 7 World Trade Center building. The move was considered dangerous in light of the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.
But Giuliani was hailed a hero for his leadership during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Former President George Bush praised Giuliani’s leadership as mayor during a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001.
Oprah Winfrey called Giuliani “America’s Mayor” at a 9/11 memorial service held at Yankee Stadium on September 23, 2001.
Americans turned on Giuliani for supporting President Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Trump appointed Giuliani as his informal cybersecurity adviser on January 12, 2017. In April 2018, Giuliani joined Trump’s legal team, and defended Trump during the Russian interference allegations.
In 2023, a judge ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million to former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and daughter Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss. The amount included $75 million in punitive damages.
Giuliani filed bankruptcy and emptied his New York City apartment of valuables. On January 16, 2024, the two parties settled the lawsuit. Giuliani kept his homes and valuables in exchange for compensating Freeman and Moss with an undisclosed amount and agreeing to refrain from defaming them on social media.
On September 26, 2024, Giuliani was disbarred in Washington, D.C. following his arrest in Georgia for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
In 2025, President Trump announced he would award Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor. Trump’s announcement came 2 days before Giuliani was badly injured in a car accident. Giuliani was confined to a wheelchair and wore a back brace.