RUDY GIULIANI IN CRITICAL CONDITION IN HOSPITAL
Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, is in a critical condition in hospital with pneumonia.
The 81-year-old former mayor of New York City was taken to a hospital in Florida on Sunday and remains in a “critical but stable condition”, said Ted Goodman, his spokesman.
“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,” Mr Goodman wrote in a post on X.
“We do ask that you join us in prayer for America’s mayor – Rudy Giuliani.”
In a positive sign for Mr Giuliani, he had required a ventilator when he went into hospital, but was able to breathe unaided as of Monday.
“Mayor Giuliani is the ultimate fighter – as he has demonstrated throughout his life – and he is winning this battle,” Mr Goodman said, asking supporters to “keep the prayers coming”.
Nevertheless, the former New York City mayor remains in a critical condition “with his family and primary medical provider at his side”.
As Mr Trump’s personal lawyer, Mr Giuliani was at the forefront of the campaign to overturn the 2020 election on the basis of widespread voter fraud, an allegation which was dismissed by several courts.
Following Joe Biden’s win, the former mayor’s downfall came after he lost a high-profile defamation trial prompted by his continued false statements about the vote, forcing him to file for bankruptcy.
Referring to his confidant’s support for the debunked claim, Mr Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social account: “Our fabulous Rudy Giuliani, a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR, has been hospitalised, 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!”
Mr Giuliani rose to prominence as a prosecutor in New York City before serving as mayor from 1994 until 2001, leading the city through the Sept 11 attacks.
He later became a close adviser to Mr Trump during his first term in the White House.
His role in the campaign to overturn the 2020 election result culminated in an ignominious press conference in Philadelphia outside Four Seasons Total Landscaping, nestled between a crematorium and a sex shop, at the moment that US networks announced Mr Trump had lost the election.
Even as he was informed of the news, the former lawyer maintained Mr Trump’s claims of voter fraud, telling reporters: “Don’t be ridiculous.”
In a speech on Jan 6, 2021, before the storming of the Capitol, Mr Giuliani repeated the allegations of voter fraud and called for a “trial by combat”.
Mr Giuliani was later identified on a list of dozens of Mr Trump’s allies who conspired to overturn the election in an investigation by Jack Smith, the US government’s special counsel, but no federal charges were brought against them.
In November 2025, Mr Trump issued a symbolic pardon for Mr Giuliani and the other 76 people, which would prevent another administration from pursuing a criminal case against them.
However, Mr Giuliani’s legal woes spiralled beyond the US government inquiry.
In August 2023, a federal judge ordered the former lawyer to pay $148m to two Georgia election workers who he falsely claimed had tampered with votes during the 2020 ballot count. A day after the verdict, Mr Giuliani filed for bankruptcy, and was subsequently disbarred.
Claiming he had been treated unfairly, the former mayor said in an outburst in court in 2024: “I can’t pay my bills.”
In January 2025, he agreed to a settlement with the victims that would allow him to keep his assets, including his Manhattan flat and a vintage 1980s Mercedes sports car, in exchange for an undisclosed payment.
He was also sued for defamation by the voting machine companies Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems.
Another case in Georgia, in which he faced 13 charges relating to his efforts to overturn the election, was dismissed in November 2025.
He also suffered a fractured spine and multiple cuts and bruises in a high-speed car crash last year in New Hampshire.
2026-05-04T02:25:55Z
