The Fall of America's Mayor
May 4, 2026
DEFAMATION JUDGMENT
$148M
Awarded to election workers Freeman & Moss, Dec 2023
AGE AT HOSPITALIZATION
81
Hospitalized in Florida, May 3, 2025
YEARS AS NYC MAYOR
8
1994–2001; reelected 1997 by wide margin
APPROVAL AFTER 9/11
~79%
Gallup-era polls, Oct 2001 — peak of public stature
DISBARRED
2024
NY Appellate Division: false 2020 election claims = misconduct
Public Approval Arc — Estimated Trajectory (1994–2025)
Composite estimate based on available polling, reporting, and historical context
Key Events
1989
U.S. Attorney Fame
As U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1983–1989), Giuliani pro…
Jan 1994
Elected Mayor of New York City
Giuliani defeated incumbent David Dinkins in 1993 and took office January 1, 199…
Nov 1997
Reelected Mayor by Landslide
Won reelection with 57% of the vote against Ruth Messinger, cementing his reputa…
Sep 11, 2001
'America's Mayor' — September 11
Giuliani's visible, composed leadership in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 a…
Jan 2008
Presidential Bid Collapses
Giuliani entered the 2008 Republican presidential primary as an early frontrunne…
Apr 2018
Joins Trump Legal Team
Giuliani joined Donald Trump's personal legal team, initially to negotiate terms…
Nov–Dec 2020
Leads 'Stop the Steal' Legal Campaign
After the 2020 election, Giuliani led Trump's legal effort to overturn the resul…
Jun 2021
Law License Suspended in New York
The New York Appellate Division, First Department suspended Giuliani's law licen…
Aug 2023
Named as Co-Conspirator in Georgia RICO Indictment
Giuliani was indicted alongside Donald Trump and 17 others in Fulton County, Geo…
Dec 15, 2023
$148 Million Defamation Judgment
A federal jury in Washington, D.C. ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million in compe…
Dec 21, 2023
Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Unable to satisfy the $148 million judgment, Giuliani filed for Chapter 11 bankr…
Jul 2024
Permanently Disbarred in New York
The New York Appellate Division formally disbarred Giuliani, concluding that his…
May 3, 2025
Hospitalized in Critical Condition
Giuliani's spokesperson confirmed he was hospitalized in Florida in critical but…
Data sources
Freeman & Moss v. Giuliani — Federal Court Judgment, $148M· U.S. District Court, District of ColumbiaGiuliani Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing· U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New YorkNY Appellate Division Disbarment Order· New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First DepartmentGeorgia RICO Indictment — State v. Trump et al.· Fulton County Superior Court, GeorgiaGiuliani Law License Interim Suspension, 2021· New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First DepartmentTime Person of the Year 2001 — Rudy Giuliani· Time MagazineReporting on Giuliani hospitalization, May 2025· Associated Press