Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized With Pneumonia, Now Breathing on His Own

Key facts

• Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized for pneumonia and required mechanical ventilation due to complications from restrictive airway disease linked to 9/11 exposure.
• He is now breathing on his own but remains in critical but stable condition, according to spokesman Ted Goodman.
• Giuliani coughed and sounded raspy on his Friday show 'America's Mayor Live,' saying his voice was 'a little under the weather.'
• President Trump called Giuliani 'a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR' on Truth Social.
• Giuliani was disbarred in New York and Washington, D.C., and declared bankruptcy after a $148 million defamation judgment for spreading falsehoods about Georgia election workers.
• He was pardoned by Trump in November 2025 for his role in the false elector scheme, but state charges in Georgia and Arizona remain; the Georgia case was dismissed late last year.
• Giuliani suffered broken vertebrae and other injuries in a car crash in Manchester, New Hampshire, last year.

A Sudden Collapse After On-Air Coughing Fit

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and onetime presidential candidate who became Donald Trump’s most vocal defender of the 2020 election lies, was hospitalized in critical condition over the weekend after a respiratory crisis. His spokesman Ted Goodman confirmed Monday that Giuliani is being treated for pneumonia and is now breathing on his own, though he remains in critical but stable condition. Giuliani, 81, had appeared on his nightly online show “America’s Mayor Live” on Friday, coughing and speaking with a raspy voice. “My voice is a little under the weather, so I won’t be able to speak as loudly as I usually do, but I’ll get closer to the microphone,” he told viewers before launching into commentary on the Iran war. Two days later, he was hospitalized.

Pneumonia Complicated by 9/11-Related Lung Disease

Goodman disclosed that Giuliani’s pneumonia was complicated by restrictive airway disease, a condition stemming from his exposure to toxic dust at the World Trade Center site after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “On September 11th, Mayor Giuliani ran toward the towers to help those in need, which later led to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease,” Goodman said in a statement. “This condition adds complications to any respiratory illness, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition.” Giuliani is now breathing without a ventilator, but his prognosis remains guarded. Goodman did not specify which hospital is treating him or how long he has been there.

From ‘America’s Mayor’ to Disbarred Trump Ally

Giuliani’s eight-year tenure as mayor of the nation’s largest city, from 1994 through 2001, was defined by his leadership after the 9/11 attacks, which earned him the moniker “America’s Mayor.” He later made an unsuccessful run for president in 2008 and became a close ally of Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign. As Trump’s personal attorney and adviser, Giuliani spearheaded efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, spreading conspiracy theories about ballot counters and voting machines. He was disbarred in New York in 2024 and in Washington, D.C., for his role in spreading falsehoods about the election. Two former Georgia election workers won a $148 million defamation judgment against him, leading to a bankruptcy filing and a contempt-of-court finding. A trial over the ownership of his assets was set for this winter.

Trump’s Pardon and Ongoing Legal Peril

In November 2025, President Trump pardoned Giuliani and others involved in the false elector scheme, but the pardon does not shield him from state charges. Giuliani faced criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona related to election interference; the Georgia case was dismissed late last year. The legal cloud has not dissipated entirely, as the defamation judgment and asset disputes continue. Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to express his support, calling Giuliani “fabulous... a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR.” He added: “What a tragedy that he was treated so badly by the Radical Left Lunatics, Democrats ALL — AND HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!... They cheated on the Elections, fabricated hundreds of stories, did anything possible to destroy our Nation, and now, look at Rudy. So sad!”

A Life Marked by Triumph and Scandal

Giuliani rose to fame as a federal prosecutor in the 1980s and 1990s before being elected mayor. His tenure was punctuated by the 9/11 attacks in his final months in office, cementing his legacy as a crisis leader. But his post-mayoral career descended into legal and financial turmoil. Last year, he was injured in a car crash on a highway in Manchester, New Hampshire, suffering broken vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, and injuries to his left arm and lower leg. Despite his fall from grace, Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year. Giuliani’s hospitalization has drawn an outpouring of prayer requests from his supporters; Goodman posted on X: “We do ask that you join us in prayer for America’s Mayor Rudy Giuliani.”

Uncertain Recovery and Lingering Questions

Goodman declined to provide a timeline for Giuliani’s recovery or disclose the specific hospital where he is being treated. The former mayor’s age and underlying health conditions, including the restrictive airway disease, make his prognosis uncertain. His legal battles, though partially resolved by the pardon and dismissal of the Georgia case, remain a backdrop to his health crisis. For now, Giuliani’s family and allies are focused on his medical condition. The coming days will determine whether the man who once rallied a grieving city can rally his own body once more.

The bottom line

• Rudy Giuliani is hospitalized with pneumonia and is in critical but stable condition after requiring mechanical ventilation.
• His pneumonia was complicated by restrictive airway disease linked to his exposure to 9/11 toxic dust.
• Giuliani was disbarred, declared bankruptcy, and faced a $148 million defamation judgment for spreading election lies.
• He was pardoned by Trump in November 2025 for the false elector scheme, but state charges in Georgia and Arizona remain; the Georgia case was dismissed.
• Trump publicly praised Giuliani as a 'True Warrior' and blamed political opponents for his downfall.
• Giuliani’s health crisis comes a year after he suffered broken vertebrae in a car crash.