Rudy Giuliani, disbarred attorney and former adviser to Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump, is seen on the convention floor during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum.

WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump said he will award former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Trump made the announcement in a Sept. 1 post on Truth Social, calling his longtime ally and friend Giuliani "the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City (and) an equally great American Patriot."

The recognition comes after the 81-year-old Giuliani was hospitalized Aug. 30 following a car crash near Manchester, New Hampshire, in which he suffered a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg.

Trump did not say when he plans to formally present Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "Details as to time and place to follow," the president shared.

Giuliani, the Republican mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, was known for pushing tough-on-crime policies from city hall and leading the city during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.

Giuliani later became a Trump adviser during the president's first term in office. He helped push baseless claims of voter fraud and other conspiracy theories as Trump's attorney after the 2020 presidential election, falsely arguing it was stolen from Trump.

Giuliani was disbarred in 2024 from practicing law in the state of New York and Washington, DC over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Giuliani was among 18 people, including Trump, indicted in Georgia on racketeering charges for efforts to overturn election results in that state. The case stalled after Trump's 2024 election victory.

As part of a legal settlement reached in January 2025, Giuliani agreed to stop defaming two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea Moss, who he falsely accused of helping steal the 2020 election. It came after they won a $148 million judgement in a defamation case brought against Giuliani.

Trump in May named Giuliani's son, former New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani, to lead the president's task force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the United States prepares to host the international event next year.

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump says he will award Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rudy Giuliani

Reporting by Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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