Trump announces that he will award Giuliani the presidential medal of freedom

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would award the former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, with the presidential medal of freedom, the highest civil distinction.

The announcement comes after Giuliani, who is also Trump’s former personal lawyer, was involved in a car accident in New Hampshire this weekend.

“As President of the United States of America, I am happy to announce that Rudy Giuliani, the greatest mayor in New York history, and an equally large American patriot, will receive the presidential medal of freedom, the highest civil honor in our country.

Giuliani, who was mayor of New York during September 11 and was often called “American mayor” following terrorist attacks, has faced a series of legal and financial problems since the 2020 elections, where he played a key role in several of Trump’s efforts to try to overthrow the results.

He continued to receive the support of the president, who appointed Giuliani to an advisory council within the Ministry of Internal Security in June and put the son of Giuliani, Andrew, in charge of the White House working group for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Giuliani spokesperson Ted Goodman told CNN in a statement: “There is no American more deserving this honor. Mayor Rudy Giuliani removed the mafia, saved New York, comforted the nation after September 11, and served many other ways to improve the lives of others. Thank you, President Trump, for honoring his life and her inheritance. ”

The former mayor was hospitalized this weekend after his vehicle was struck from behind to “High Speed” on Saturday evening, said his security head, Michael Ragusa, in a press release on X. Giuliani was transported to a nearby trauma center “where he was diagnosed with a fracture of Thoracic vertebres, multiple lacents”.

Ragusa told CNN on Sunday that Giuliani was “in great mood” and “fully alert and conscious”.

Giuliani, who was mayor from 1994 to 2001, was widely credited with the revitalization of New York in the 1990s, when crime dropped considerably and the economy exploded and praised for its response to the September 11 terrorist attack.

He joined Trump’s legal team in April 2018, on the control of the following year after the reports emerged that he urged Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rival in 2020, then presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Federal prosecutors investigated him for possible violations of foreign lobbying laws, but finally declared that no accusation would be made.

In 2020, Trump took charge of the post-electoral legal challenges of his campaign.

Since then, Giuliani has continued to face the benefits of participation in efforts to reverse Trump’s electoral defeat in 2020. He was canceled last year in New York and Washington, DC. Two former Georgia electoral employees, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, also obtained a defamation judgment of $ 148 million against him for false allegations he made after the 2020 elections.

In January, he concluded a settlement agreement with Freeman and Moss which allowed him to keep his home and the most precious property.

This story has been updated with additional details.

Katelyn Polantz of CNN and Nicki Brown contributed to this report.