\ninvolved in a serious car crash in New Hampshire.<\/a><\/p>\n
His spokesperson, Michael Ragusa, confirmed that the rental vehicle Giuliani was traveling in was struck from behind at high speed, leaving him with a fractured vertebra and multiple injuries.<\/p>\n
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n
Ragusa said Giuliani was \u201cin good spirits and recovering tremendously\u201d and later clarified that the incident was \u201cnot a targeted attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement made on Truth Social, He also said that \u201cdetails as to time and place to follow,\u201d indicating that the medal ceremony\u2019s schedule would be announced at a later stage.<\/p>\n The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian recognition in the United States, awarded to individuals who have made notable contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the nation, to world peace, or to other areas of public or private achievement.<\/p>\n For Trump, the decision to honour Giuliani highlights their political partnership, but it has resulted in a divide because of Giuliani\u2019s long trail of legal troubles and public controversies over the last decade.<\/p>\n When Giuliani became \u201cAmerica\u2019s Mayor\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Rudolph William Giuliani, born in Brooklyn in 1944, rose to prominence as a federal prosecutor in the 1980s, becoming known for his aggressive use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (Rico) to take on organised crime and white-collar criminals.<\/p>\n By the time he became mayor of New York City in 1994, Giuliani had already cultivated a reputation as a tough and combative law-and-order figure.<\/p>\n As mayor, Giuliani served two terms until 2001. His administration was credited with reducing crime rates, though critics argued that his policies often came at the expense of civil liberties and disproportionately affected minority communities.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n His combative style as mayor earned him both staunch supporters and harsh detractors.<\/p>\n Giuliani\u2019s defining moment came on September 11, 2001, when hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, killing nearly 2,800 people in New York. His leadership during the crisis drew widespread praise.<\/p>\n He walked the streets near Ground Zero, coordinated rescue and recovery operations, and served as a public face of the city\u2019s resilience. The global acclaim that followed led to him being nicknamed \u201cAmerica\u2019s Mayor.\u201d<\/p>\n He was named Time magazine\u2019s Person of the Year in 2001 and received an honourary knighthood from UK\u2019s Queen Elizabeth II.<\/p>\n Many suggested he should remain in office for a third term, but city law prevented it, and Giuliani stepped down in December 2001.<\/p>\n When Giuliani allied with Donald Trump<\/strong><\/p>\n Following his mayoralty, Giuliani entered the private sector, establishing a consulting firm that reportedly earned $100 million in its first five years.<\/p>\n He also pursued national politics, launching an unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. His campaign struggled, and he eventually withdrew.<\/p>\n Giuliani\u2019s political trajectory changed with the rise of Donald Trump. An early and vocal supporter of Trump\u2019s 2016 presidential campaign, Giuliani became one of his most trusted allies.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n After Trump\u2019s victory, Giuliani was considered for senior posts in the administration, including US secretary of state, though he did not receive the role.<\/p>\n Instead, he served as an unofficial adviser on cybersecurity and later joined Trump\u2019s personal legal team during Robert Mueller\u2019s special counsel investigation into Although Giuliani made frequent television appearances defending Trump, some of his remarks were considered counterproductive. Nonetheless, he remained one of Trump\u2019s most loyal defenders.<\/p>\n His role expanded during Trump\u2019s first impeachment in 2019, when Giuliani\u2019s back-channel dealings with Ukrainian officials came under scrutiny.<\/p>\n He was accused of pressuring Ukraine to launch investigations into Joe Biden, then a political rival of Trump. These activities made him a central figure in the impeachment proceedings, though Trump was acquitted by the Senate in early 2020.<\/p>\n When Giuliani fell from grace<\/strong><\/p>\n After Joe Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 US presidential election, Giuliani became the public face of Trump\u2019s efforts to challenge the results. He filed lawsuits across multiple states alleging widespread voter fraud, though none of the claims were substantiated in court.<\/p>\n In Georgia, Giuliani made repeated false claims to lawmakers about supposed irregularities, later admitting that his accusations against two election workers in the state were defamatory.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n One of his most notorious appearances during this period was a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia \u2014 mistakenly believed at first to be at the luxury hotel of the same name \u2014 situated next to a crematorium and an adult entertainment store.<\/p>\n The unusual setting quickly became the subject of ridicule.<\/p>\n Another widely circulated incident occurred when dark streaks, believed to be hair dye, ran down Giuliani\u2019s face during a press briefing.<\/p>\n These moments contributed to his transformation from a respected former mayor into a frequent subject of late-night satire and internet memes.<\/p>\n
\nTrump lauded Giuliani,<\/a> describing him as \u201cthe greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot.\u201d<\/p>\nNew York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) gives a tour of the World Trade Center attack site to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan (C) and New York state Governor George Pataki (L), September 18, 2001. File Image\/Reuters<\/b><\/p>\n
\nRussian interference in the 2016 US election.<\/a><\/p>\nRepublican US presidential nominee Donald Trump greets former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani during a campaign rally at Crown Arena in Fayetteville, North Carolina, US, August 9, 2016. File Image\/Reuters<\/b><\/p>\n
Rudy Giuliani gestures during a hearing in his case over the handover of property to two Georgia election workers he was found to have defamed, in New York City, US, November 26, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. File Image\/Reuters<\/b><\/p>\n