NEW YORK – President Trump announced on Monday that he’s awarding former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Why you should care:
In a post shared to Truth Social, the president called Giuliani the “greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the U.S. government’s highest civilian honor, and is often presented to individuals “to recognize a lifetime of significant achievements in the arts, public service, science or other fields,” according to Congress.
Rudy Giuliani car crash
Timeline:
The announcement from Trump comes just a few days after the former mayor was badly injured in a car crash in New Hampshire. According to the Associated Press, Giuliani was being driven in a rented Ford Bronco by his spokesperson Ted Goodman when their vehicle was struck from behind by a 19-year-old woman in a Honda HR-V.
“While traveling on the highway, Mayor Giuliani’s vehicle was struck from behind at high speed,” Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security, said in a statement shared on X. “His business partner and medical provider were promptly contacted and arrived at the hospital to oversee his care.”
The former mayor has fractured vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg.
The 81-year-old is in “good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Ragusa said Sunday. He added that Giuliani is “conscious, alert and strong,” saying he’ll be back to business as usual later this week.
The New York Times reported that Giuliani was released from the hospital on Monday.
Giuliani’s legal troubles
Giuliani was permanently disbarred as an attorney in New York and Washington after it was determined that he repeatedly made false claims about Trump’s 2020 election loss. Additionally, the former mayor has been criminally charged over his alleged role in an effort to overturn that election, but has denied the allegations.
Earlier this year, former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss won a defamation lawsuit against Giulilani totaling $148 million for his false ballot fraud claims against them related to the election. The women claim that Giuliani pushed lies about Trump’s supposed “win,” which led to them receiving death threats.
The Source: Information above came from the Associated Press, The New York Times, POLITICO, PBS, Congress, Giuliani’s head of security and previous FOX 5 NY reporting.