(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump announced Monday he will award former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, as Giuliani recovers from injuries sustained in a car crash in New Hampshire.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, calling Giuliani “the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot.” The president said details about the ceremony’s time and location would be announced later.
The announcement comes as Giuliani, 81, recovers from a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and contusions, and injuries to his left arm and lower leg following Sunday evening’s crash on Interstate 93 in New Hampshire.
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New Hampshire State Police said Giuliani was a passenger in a rented Ford Bronco driven by his spokesperson Ted Goodman when their vehicle was struck from behind by a Honda HR-V driven by a 19-year-old woman. The collision caused both vehicles to hit the highway median, leaving them “heavily damaged,” police said.
Troopers witnessed the crash and quickly assisted. Goodman and the 19-year-old driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to hospitals for treatment. Giuliani was transported to a nearby trauma center.
Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security, said in a statement posted on X that Giuliani “sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously.” Ragusa said that “this was not a targeted attack.”
According to Ragusa, prior to the accident, Giuliani had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police on her behalf. The crash occurred shortly after Giuliani’s vehicle pulled onto the highway following the completion of that incident, which Ragusa said was “entirely unrelated” to the collision.
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State police confirmed troopers were investigating a domestic violence report on the southbound lanes of Interstate 93 shortly before 10 p.m. when they observed the crash on the northbound lanes. The agency declined to comment on Giuliani’s reported involvement in the domestic violence matter.
No charges have been filed in connection with the crash, which remains under investigation.
Giuliani earned the nickname “America’s mayor” for his leadership following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The former federal prosecutor later served as Trump’s personal attorney and became a vocal advocate for Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2020 election.
Giuliani faced significant legal consequences for his role in promoting election fraud allegations. Two former Georgia election workers won a $148 million defamation judgment against him.
During proceedings to collect the judgment, Giuliani was found in contempt of court and faced a trial over asset ownership. He ultimately reached a settlement allowing him to keep his homes and belongings, including World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop making disparaging statements about the election workers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
