Rudy Giuliani's Lawyer Says Former Mayor Suffers From 9/11-Related Illnesses
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani suffers from illnesses related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, his lawyer claims.
"Today I am here to clear the record - the press has reported misstatements and information that is not factual in nature regarding America's mayor's health and his application for 9/11 healthcare benefits, which he is entitled to," Joseph Cammarata, a lawyer and member of Giuliani's legal team, said in a video shared via X on Friday, May 8.
"We all know who Rudy Giuliani is - Rudy Giuliani is America's mayor because he led the charge during the attacks of 9/11," Cammarata continued. "He raced down to the Trade Center with fire fighters, police officers, EMS workers, other rescue personnel and civilian volunteers in America's darkest day and led the charge in one of the largest rescue missions that have taken place on U.S. soil."
The legal representative added, "Instead of sitting behind a desk and monitoring the chaos and darkness from a television screen, he chose to put his life and limb at stake – just like many other rescue workers and civilians who have become ill with 9/11-related illnesses, Rudy Giuliani is not immune to that - he too has become ill from his response that day."
According to Cammarata, Giuliani, 81, suffers from two "serious medical conditions" as a result of the terrorist attacks on the World Trace Center - restricted airway disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Per Johns Hopkins Medicine, restricted airway disease is a respiratory condition in which lung volume is reduced and the lungs are unable to fully expand, while COPD is a progressive, irreversible lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe, per the Mayo Clinic.
The former mayor was admitted to a Florida hospital on Sunday, May 3, according to Ted Goodman, the politician's spokesperson.
"Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in life with unwavering strength, and he's fighting with that same level of strength as we speak," Goodman, told multiple outlets, including The New York Times, on Sunday. At the time, Giuliani was in critical but stable condition.
On Friday, Cammarata confirmed that Giuliani was in the intensive care unit (ICU) and at point received his last rites from a priest.
"That's how bad it got," he said. "However, knowing Rudy like I do from being on his legal counsel, he's a fighter and he fought through, and he's on his way to making a recovery. And the American people should know, he believes in the power of prayer and he feels the prayer and the love that is being projected to him from his supporters. And our team thanks you."
Cammarata then went on to address reports claiming Giuliani filed an application to have his healthcare covered by The World Trade Center Health Program, which provides benefits to those who suffer from illnesses related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"Now there's this misinformation that his application was filed by him while he was in the hospital in some sort of way to misappropriate and get medical care or benefits - that's clearly not who he is and that's clearly not the case," Cammarata claimed. "However, his application had been filed in January of 2026 - that's when it was started, and this is because he has had several years of medical crisis due to his response to 9/11."
The lawyer concluded, "And to the American people, thank you for the outpouring of support for Rudy Giuliani. America's mayor deserves to be taken care of. America's mayor deserves health care. America's mayor deserves love and support and respect. Thank you."
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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 10:20 AM.