Trump To Award Giuliani Presidential Medal Of Freedom After NH Vehicle Crash

By Nancy West, InDepth NH

President Trump says former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also previously served as his personal attorney, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The announcement on social media came the same day Giuliani was released from a hospital after being injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday on I-93 in Manchester.

"As President of the United States of America, I am pleased to announce that Rudy Giuliani, the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot, will receive THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, our Country’s highest civilian honor. Details as to time and place to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" Trump wrote.

Giuliani, 81, was widely praised for his leadership after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Associated Press reported that as Trump’s personal lawyer, Giuliani "became a central figure in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Courts repeatedly rejected the fraud claims he advanced, and two former Georgia election workers won a $148 million defamation judgment against him."

Giuliani's medical provider and business partner, Maria Ryan, who was formerly CEO of Cottage Hospital in Woodsville, NH, said on social media:

"The mayor was involved in a MVA late Saturday evening. He was flagged down by a woman who claimed she was being abused by a boyfriend. He called the police and waited until they arrived. Of course the state troopers wanted a picture with him! In a twist of circumstances, the woman was the aggressor and the boyfriend was found to be bloodied and in rough shape and was taken to the hospital.

"After finishing up, he and his staff member (who was driving ) were hit 'like a rocket’ from behind. Severely impacting the right rear side. The mayor sustained several injuries with the most concerning being a fracture of his spine, thoracic area level9," Ryan wrote.

WMUR reported that Giuliani attended a Fisher Cats baseball game in Manchester hours before the crash.

New Hampshire State Police released additional information about the crash on Monday evening:

"Based on the investigation to date and witness statements that have been gathered, the State Police can confirm that before the crash on I-93 northbound, Giuliani and his driver, Theodore Goodman, were traveling on I-93 southbound when they were flagged down by a woman on the side of the road, just south of Exit 9N, who reported to them she had been involved in a domestic violence incident. Just after 9 p.m., Goodman initially reported the incident to law enforcement, and he and Giuliani remained at the scene until Troopers arrived to investigate. Goodman and Giuliani spoke with the Troopers about what they had witnessed and then left the scene before exiting the interstate at a nearby exit.

"Minutes later, Goodman and Giuliani got back on I-93, this time headed northbound, when they were struck from behind at mile marker 23.2, almost directly across from the scene of the reported domestic violence incident on the southbound side. Troopers who were already at the initial scene responded immediately and provided aid.

"Investigators believe the driver who struck Goodman and Giuliani had no connection to the initial domestic violence incident. At this time, all aspects of the crash remain under investigation, including whether distraction or curiosity of the initial scene was a factor. No charges have been filed," the latest release said.

The news release from state police Sunday said: "The on-scene investigation determined that a Honda HR-V, driven by Lauren Kemp, 19, of Concord, struck the back of a Ford Bronco, driven by Theodore Goodman, of Michigan. Kemp and Goodman, as well as Giuliani, Goodman’s passenger, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken by ambulance to area hospitals for treatment."

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.