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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is breathing on his own after being taken off a ventilator, his doctor said, adding he has “9 lives” following a dramatic turnaround from a dire condition.
Dr. Maria Ryan told correspondent Danamarie McNicholl that Giuliani began feeling ill after returning from a trip to Paris, with his breathing deteriorating to the point that he required hospitalization and was placed on a ventilator.
Ryan said his condition turned critical, prompting a priest to be called to his bedside to perform last rites.
By Tuesday, however, his condition had improved enough for doctors to remove him from the ventilator. He is now breathing independently and able to speak, though he remains in critical but stable condition.
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Rudy Giuliani attends the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City on Sept. 11, 2025, honoring victims of the terror attacks on the 24th anniversary. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“He’s a fighter — the way he was yesterday in such a critical condition, he did have a priest come anoint him,” Ryan told . “And all the prayers from around — it’s like a miracle. This guy’s got 9 lives, today he’s doing much better.”
Ryan said she expects Giuliani to make a full recovery.
A spokesperson for Giuliani also pointed to his health history following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when he was exposed to debris while responding at Ground Zero, later leading to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease.
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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attends the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City in September 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
In a video shared on X, Ted Goodman said Giuliani is now “breathing on his own” and remains in “critical but stable condition.”
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the ultimate fighter,” Goodman said.
The update comes after Giuliani was hospitalized with severe breathing issues, prompting concern about his condition. His team had previously said he was in critical but stable condition.
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Giuliani, 81, has faced a number of health challenges in recent years but has remained active in public life.
He previously made headlines after being seriously injured in a car crash in New Hampshire in August 2025. Authorities said the vehicle he was riding in was struck from behind on Interstate 93 in Manchester, leaving him with a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and other injuries.
Despite those setbacks, Giuliani returned to work and continued to appear publicly in the months that followed.
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Ryan said the latest improvement marks a turning point in his recovery, though doctors will continue to monitor his condition closely in the coming days.
Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
