NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York City, made a return to his regular broadcast on Wednesday evening following a recent hospitalization for viral pneumonia earlier this month. This marked his first appearance on “The Rudy Giuliani Show” since his health scare.
The 81-year-old began his conservative talk show by reassuring listeners of his ongoing recovery, although he acknowledged he hasn’t completely bounced back yet. Earlier in May, Giuliani had faced a critical health crisis, requiring a ventilator during his stay at a Palm Beach, Florida hospital.
News of Giuliani’s condition prompted a wave of support and messages of goodwill from prominent political figures on both sides of the aisle.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone who offered prayers and positive thoughts,” Giuliani conveyed, extending special thanks to his family, the medical professionals who cared for him, and former U.S. President Donald Trump, who reached out with a phone call during his illness.
“It’s great to be back,” Giuliani remarked before heading into the first commercial break of the show.
Giuliani was previously hospitalized last September after suffering a fractured vertebra and other injuries in a car crash in New Hampshire.
After Giuliani’s eight-year tenure as mayor, which was punctuated by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the longtime Republican politician ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008 and eventually became a personal attorney and adviser to Trump.
Giuliani was a vocal proponent of the president’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error.
Two former Georgia election workers later won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. As they sought to collect the judgment, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets.
Giuliani ultimately struck a deal that let him keep his homes and various belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the ex-election workers.
Last year, Trump said he was awarding Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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