Drew Angerer/Getty; ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Donald Trump says he will award Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom He referred to the disbarred lawyer as a "great American Patriot" Giuliani was mayor of New York City from 1994 until 2001, and also served as Trump's personal attorney Donald Trumphas announced that he will awardRudy Giulianiwith the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "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," the 79-year-old wrote onTruth Socialon Monday, Sept. 1. Trump added that details regarding a date and location for the ceremony would come at a later time. ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty "Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" he concluded. While Trump did not say what prompted the announcement, the news comes just two days after the 81-year-old politician and disbarred lawyer wasseriously injured in a New Hampshire car accidenton Aug. 30. Michael Ragusa, who serves as Giuliani's head of security, confirmed the incident in a post shared onInstagram. According to Ragusa, the former mayor had been "assisting a domestic violence victim" and waiting for police to arrive when "he was struck from behind while driving on the highway." He went on to say that his client "was transported to a nearby trauma center, where he was diagnosed with a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg." However, Ragusa ended the post by stating that the former United States Associate Attorney General was "in good spirits and recovering tremendously." Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty The following day, his son Andrew Giuliani referred to his father as "the toughest SOBI've ever seen!" in a post on X. Giuliani, who was the mayor of New York City from 1994 until 2001, has a decades-long friendship with Trump and previously served as his personal attorney. Afterhis second impeachmentby the House of Representatives in January 2021, there were reports that a seething Trump wasnot going to payhis personal attorney's legal fees. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. However, at the time, his campaign's senior adviser, Jason Miller, shared a tweet seemingly debunking the rumors. "Just spoke with President Trump, and he told me that @RudyGiuliani is a great guy and a Patriot who devoted his services to the country!"Miller wroteon social media. "We all love America's Mayor!" Read the original article onPeople
