Donald Trump has announced he will award Rudolph Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a day after the former New York mayor and political ally was seriously injured in a traffic accident.
The medal is the nation’s highest civilian honour.
In a statement on social media on Monday, Mr Trump described Mr Giuliani as “the greatest mayor in New York City’s history and an equally great American patriot”.
Mr Giuliani has been celebrated for his leadership after the September 11 attacks but has also drawn controversy for his strong support of Mr Trump.
As the president’s lawyer, he became a central figure in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
On Sunday, Mr Giuliani was taken to hospital after a car crash in New Hampshire, a spokesperson for the former mayor said.
He suffered “a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg”, according to Michael Ragusa, Mr Giuliani’s head of security.
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His vehicle was struck from behind while driving on a highway near Manchester, New York, on Saturday evening.
“He sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Mr Ragusa said in a statement on X, adding: “This was not a targeted attack.”
Mr Giuliani was in a rental car and “no one knew it was him”, according to Mr Ragusa.
His head of security said the former mayor had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police on her behalf. The crash was “random and unrelated” to the domestic violence incident, Mr Ragusa said.
Mr Giuliani, 81, is expected to be released from hospital in a few days.
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His son, Andrew Giuliani, thanked people for reaching out after hearing about his father’s accident, writing on X: “Your prayers mean the world.”
“As a son, I can tell you that I’m honored to have a Dad that I can call the toughest SOB I’ve ever seen,” he added.
Turbulent years
The crash on Saturday comes after several turbulent years for Mr Giuliani, who earned the nickname “America’s mayor” for his leadership in New York following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
He sought the Republican nomination for the 2008 presidential election but ultimately dropped out and endorsed John McCain.
Mr Giuliani re-emerged as Mr Trump’s personal lawyer in 2018 and later backed his unfounded claims of fraud in the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.
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However, Mr Trump’s legal team lost numerous lawsuits alleging fraud, and multiple recounts, audits, and reviews of the 2020 election uncovered no evidence of significant wrongdoing or error.
Two Georgia election workers won a defamation lawsuit against Mr Giuliani after he falsely accused them of helping to rig the presidential election. He was ordered to pay $148m (£118m) in damages.
