President Donald Trump continues to rely on his familiar tactic of blaming his political adversaries for any misstep or issue that he dislikes. In his most recent accusation, however, critics argue he is stretching the truth to its breaking point by accusing Democrats of causing Rudy Giuliani’s illness, a longtime ally who has stood by him.
The 81-year-old Giuliani remains in a Florida hospital, listed in critical but stable condition with pneumonia. His spokesman, Ted Goodman, said on Monday, May 4, that the former mayor is now breathing independently after requiring a ventilator over the weekend, according to the New York Times.
“Mayor Giuliani is the ultimate fighter, as he has demonstrated throughout his life, and he is prevailing in this battle,” Goodman stated in a message.
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is recovering from pneumonia and is being monitored as a precaution,” he added, noting that Giuliani had previously been diagnosed with the respiratory illness in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, NBC News reported.
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Goodman did not offer any further details about Giuliani’s condition or the hospital location in Florida where the former mayor is receiving care.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday, May 3, praising Giuliani as a “True Warrior” and the “Best Mayor,” but what followed has irritated his political opponents.
“Our fabulous Rudy Giuliani, a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR, has been hospitalized, and is in critical condition,” Trump began, before veering in another direction.
“What a tragedy that he was treated so harshly by the Radical Left Lunatics, Democrats ALL — AND HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!” Trump ranted before launching into another tirade about his 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden, a grievance that has persisted for years.
“They cheated in the Elections, fabricated hundreds of stories, did anything possible to destroy our Nation, and now, look at Rudy. So sad!” Trump concluded.
Biden won the 2020 election fair and square. Even the Supreme Court at the time weighed in on the vote, ruling it to be a free and fair election and that Biden won legitimately, but Trump has never accepted it.
Giuliani—who once served as Trump’s personal attorney—represented the president in a slew of lawsuits attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential results. He peddled false claims about rigged voting machines, accused election workers of fraud, and even blamed an international communist conspiracy for Trump’s electoral defeat.
Last year, Giuliani settled a $148 million defamation case he lost after a judge ruled in favor of two Georgia election workers who sued over Giuliani’s false statements about them after the 2020 election. The two women argued they faced death threats and were fearful for their safety after Giuliani labeled them as election fraudsters.
Journalist Aaron Rupar weighed in on Trump’s bid to blame Democrats for Giuliani’s illness.
“This is an absolutely demented statement from the president. He lost the 2020 election, and that has nothing to do with Giuliani’s health problems,” Rupar stated on Threads.
Others joined in noting how Trump tends to turn every issue into a personal spotlight, even when a friend is in distress.
“Rudy Giuliani is sick and possibly dying, yet the discussion is about him—me, me, me,” Thread user Shawn Hunter 2021 commented.
Others observed, “We’d be hard pressed to find a statement from him that is *not* demented.”
“Did he forget that Giuliani is over 80?” another Threads user commented.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, and individuals with weakened immune systems, such as infants and older adults, are more prone to severe forms of the illness, WebMD notes. The likelihood of developing a more serious pneumonia tends to rise with age.
