Rudy Giuliani Recovering at Home as Medal of Freedom Ceremony Awaits

NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (Reuters) - Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is recuperating at home after being discharged from a New Hampshire hospital earlier this week following a high-speed rear-end collision on Interstate 93 near Manchester. Giuliani, 81, sustained a fractured thoracic vertebra as well as multiple lacerations and contusions to his left arm and lower leg when the Ford Bronco he was traveling in was struck from behind on Aug. 30.

Giuliani’s son, Andrew, confirmed on Sept. 1 that his father had left the hospital and was “walking, thank goodness,” describing him as in “good spirits” despite enduring significant pain. The former mayor, who assisted a woman reporting a domestic-violence incident shortly before the crash, has been using a metal brace but has expressed confidence in a full recovery during his online program “America’s Mayor Live” on Lindell TV.

On Sept. 1, former President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that Giuliani will be honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, praising him as “the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot.” Details regarding the timing and location of the award ceremony have not yet been announced.

Giuliani, who gained national prominence for his leadership after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and later served as a personal attorney to President Trump, has faced legal and professional setbacks in recent years, including disbarment and defamation judgments related to his efforts to contest the 2020 election results.

Looking ahead, the Medal of Freedom ceremony will spotlight Giuliani’s dramatic career arc-from his tenure as “America’s Mayor” during New York’s darkest hour to his contentious role in national politics-and mark a moment of recognition even as he continues his physical recovery at age 81.