President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who sustained serious injuries in a car crash just two days prior. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the United States and acknowledges individuals for their significant contributions to public life.
Giuliani, who served as the mayor of New York City during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, has had a controversial public life in recent years. While he was once heralded as a national hero for his leadership during the crisis, his reputation has significantly declined following his involvement in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election. Giuliani has faced judicial sanctions, including being disbarred, for promoting unfounded claims about election fraud, which have been refuted by various courts across the country. He denies any wrongdoing.
In a statement shared on social media, Trump referred to Giuliani as the “greatest Mayor in the history of New York City and an equally great American Patriot.” This comment highlights the duality of Giuliani’s legacy: his heroic past during a national crisis versus his more recent political controversies.
Over the past two decades, Giuliani's public narrative has shifted dramatically. After his tenure as mayor, he made a short-lived attempt to secure the Republican presidential nomination and became a prominent political figure. However, his role as Trump’s personal lawyer has entangled him in significant legal struggles, culminating in criminal charges in both Georgia and Arizona for his attempts to challenge the election outcome against Democrat Joe Biden. Additionally, Giuliani was ordered to pay a $148 million defamation judgment to two former Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, who claimed that his false assertions about voter fraud led to death threats against them.
Giuliani, now 81 years old, was involved in a car accident in New Hampshire on Saturday night, where he was a passenger in a rented Ford Bronco. The vehicle, driven by his spokesperson Ted Goodman, was hit from behind by a Honda HR-V. Reports indicate that Giuliani suffered a fractured thoracic vertebra, along with multiple lacerations, contusions, and injuries on his left arm and leg. His security chief, Michael Ragusa, stated that Giuliani had been hospitalized but was expected to be released “soon.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established in 1963 and is intended to honor individuals who have made notable contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, as well as to world peace and cultural or other significant areas of public endeavor. The decision to award Giuliani, given his recent legal troubles and professional decline, is likely to provoke mixed reactions across the political spectrum.
