United States President Donald Trump has announced that he will award Rudy Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and close ally, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump said on Monday that he would grant the country’s highest civilian honor to Giuliani, calling him a “great patriot” in a post on his social media website, Truth Social.
“As President of the United States of America, I am pleased to announce that Rudy Giuliani, the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot, will receive THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, our Country’s highest civilian honor,” Trump wrote.
Giuliani rose to prominence in US politics for leading New York City during the September 11, 2001, attacks and their aftermath.
However, his later involvement in efforts to overturn Trump’s loss in the 2020 election has been widely criticized.
Giuliani took part in an effort to keep Trump in office by spreading false claims of significant fraud, which led to his disbarment and a $148m defamation judgment against him.
The judgment was won by a pair of Georgia election workers who said they received death threats after Giuliani falsely accused them of helping to rig the voting process.
The Medal of Freedom, first introduced in 1963, is typically awarded to people who have made substantial contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the US, world peace, or other significant social, public, or private endeavors.
Trump’s decision to award Giuliani the medal has sparked controversy, given Giuliani’s role in spreading misinformation and his involvement in attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
The 81-year-old Giuliani was hospitalized on Saturday after a car crash in the state of New Hampshire. He suffered a fractured thoracic vertebra, along with multiple lacerations, contusions, and injuries to his left arm and leg, according to his security chief, Michael Ragusa, who said on Monday that he would be released “soon”.
Trump’s decision to award Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom has sparked controversy, given Giuliani’s controversial past and his involvement in attempts to undermine the democratic process.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how this decision will be received by the public and the wider world. One thing is clear, however: Trump’s decision to award Giuliani the medal is a reflection of the complex and often contentious nature of US politics.