Rudy Giuliani, the 81-year-old former mayor of New York City and long-time ally of President Donald Trump, has been hospitalised in critical but stable condition after contracting pneumonia that required mechanical ventilation. His spokesman, Ted Goodman, said in a statement that Giuliani "is now breathing on his own" following the acute episode, and described him as "the ultimate fighter" who is "winning this battle." Goodman attributed the severity of the illness to a pre-existing respiratory condition linked to the September 11 attacks, saying Giuliani had suffered from "restrictive airway disease" since running toward the collapsed towers in 2001 — an exposure that diminished his ability to fight off lung infections. "The virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilise his condition," Goodman said.

Signs of illness were visible days before the hospitalisation was announced. On Friday, Giuliani appeared on his nightly online programme "America's Mayor Live" coughing and notably hoarse, telling viewers his voice was "a little under the weather." His spokesman announced on Sunday that he had been admitted to hospital, though did not immediately specify the facility, how long he had been there, or his full prognosis. He remains hospitalised with family and his primary physician at his side.

Giuliani rose to national and international prominence through his handling of the 11 September 2001 al-Qaeda attacks on New York's World Trade Center, earning the nickname "America's Mayor." Queen Elizabeth II awarded him an honorary knighthood in 2002 in recognition of his leadership during the crisis. He had previously served as a high-profile federal prosecutor, taking on organised crime and financial fraud, before being elected mayor in 1993 — a post he held for two terms. An unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2007-08 and a Senate bid he abandoned in 2000 after a prostate cancer diagnosis rounded out his electoral career.

In later years, Giuliani became one of Trump's closest political advisers, spearheading the former president's effort to overturn the result of the 2020 election — won by Democrat Joe Biden. Courts rejected dozens of fraud claims, and multiple recounts and audits found no evidence of significant irregularities. A jury subsequently ordered Giuliani to pay two Georgia election workers $148 million in damages after finding he had defamed them with false allegations of ballot fraud. He was later disbarred and declared bankruptcy. Trump was among the first to comment publicly on his hospitalisation, calling Giuliani "the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR" while repeating unsubstantiated claims that Democrats had stolen the 2020 election.

Giuliani's health had already been a concern after a car crash in New Hampshire last September, in which he suffered a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and injuries to his arm and leg. The latest hospitalisation underscores the lasting toll of the toxic dust and smoke from the 9/11 site, which has caused chronic and life-threatening illnesses in thousands of first responders, rescue workers and survivors in the decades since the attacks.