Trump to Award Giuliani Presidential Medal of Freedom After Car Crash
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump announced Monday he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. The decision comes just two days after Giuliani, a longtime political ally, was seriously injured in a car crash in New Hampshire.
The award is being bestowed upon a figure whose public life has been marked by both acclaim and controversy. While once celebrated for his leadership following the September 11th, 2001 attacks, Giuliani has faced legal and professional repercussions for his role in promoting false claims about the 2020 election. He has been disbarred in New York and Washington D.C.and faces criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona related to efforts to overturn the election results – charges he denies.
In a statement posted on social media, Trump lauded Giuliani as “the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot.”
Giuliani’s recent years have been defined by a dramatic shift in public perception. After successfully guiding New York City through the aftermath of 9/11 and briefly pursuing a presidential bid, he became a key figure in attempts to challenge the 2020 election outcome as Trump’s personal lawyer. These efforts were repeatedly rejected by the courts,and he was found liable in a $148 million defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers,Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.
Freeman and Moss testified that Giuliani’s promotion of election conspiracy theories led to death threats and meaningful fear for their safety.
Giuliani, 81, remains hospitalized after Saturday’s collision. He was a passenger in a vehicle struck from behind, sustaining a fractured thoracic vertebra, lacerations, contusions, and injuries to his left arm and leg, according to his security chief, Michael Ragusa. Ragusa stated Monday that Giuliani is expected to be released from the hospital “soon.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, established in 1963, recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the United States’ security, national interests, world peace, or significant public endeavors.
