WASHINGTON D.C. Sept 1, 2025 — President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will award former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, just days after Giuliani was seriously injured in a car accident in New Hampshire.
In a statement posted on social media, Trump praised Giuliani as “the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot.”
Details on the timing and location of the ceremony are expected to follow.
The announcement comes as Giuliani, 81, recovers from injuries sustained in a harrowing car crash over the weekend. Reports indicate that the former mayor suffered a fractured back and other injuries when the vehicle he was in collided with another car.
Giuliani, who served as Trump’s personal attorney during his first term and was a key figure in efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, has faced significant legal challenges in recent years, including indictments in Georgia and Arizona related to those efforts, as well as a $148 million defamation judgment against him.
He was also disbarred in New York and Washington, D.C., for making false statements about the election.
Giuliani’s career highlights include his tenure as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in the 1980s, where he prosecuted major Mafia figures using RICO laws, and his leadership as mayor from 1994 to 2001, during which crime rates in the city dropped significantly through strategies like “broken windows” policing.
He gained national prominence for his response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, earning him the moniker “America’s Mayor” and Time magazine’s Person of the Year award.
Trump’s decision has elicited sharply divided reactions. Supporters hailed it as a fitting tribute to Giuliani’s service. Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, stated, “There is no American more deserving of this honor. Mayor Rudy Giuliani took down the Mafia, saved New York City, comforted the nation following 9/11, and served in countless other ways to improve the lives of others.”
On social media, one user echoed this sentiment, writing, “Rudy sacrificed everything to stand with Trump and expose corruption. While other Republicans ran away, Rudy stayed and fought. He deserves every honor Trump can give him.”
Critics, however, decried the award as inappropriate given Giuliani’s legal troubles. One X user posted, “Yeah, a disbarred corrupt former lawyer always deserves a presidential medal of freedom. That award is meaningless under felony convict Trump. Just given to sycophants.”
Another commented, “Giving Rudy Giuliani the Medal of Freedom is like giving a Michelin star to a Waffle House bathroom. The only thing he’s truly earned is a lifetime supply of hair dye and subpoenas.”
Democratic voices and media outlets highlighted the contrast with past recipients, noting that Trump has previously awarded the medal to political allies like Rush Limbaugh, Jim Jordan, and Devin Nunes during his first term.
During his first presidency, Trump bestowed the Medal of Freedom on 24 individuals, including several athletes and cultural figures, often using the honor to recognize loyalty and achievements aligned with his administration’s priorities.
The medal, established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, has historically been given to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to national security, world peace, or cultural endeavors.
The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on the timing of the announcement in relation to Giuliani’s accident or the ongoing legal proceedings against him. As reactions continue to pour in, the award underscores the polarizing legacy of both Trump and Giuliani in American politics.