President Donald Trump announced he will award former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him a “great patriot” and “the greatest Mayor in New York City’s history”, Al Jazeera reported.

Giuliani, 81, is widely known for his leadership during the September 11 attacks and later as Trump’s personal lawyer, where he sought to overturn the 2020 election results with false claims of voter fraud. These actions led to his disbarment and a $148m defamation judgment in Georgia.

Recently, Giuliani was hospitalized in New Hampshire after a car accident, suffering a fractured vertebra and multiple injuries, though he is expected to be discharged soon.