Rudy Giuliani is staging a remarkable comeback.
The former New York City mayor is now breathing on his own after doctors removed him from a ventilator, marking a dramatic turnaround from what had been a life-threatening condition just hours earlier.
Dr. Maria Ryan told Fox News that Giuliani’s condition had deteriorated rapidly after he returned from a trip to Paris, with severe breathing issues forcing doctors to place him on a ventilator. At one point, his situation became so dire that a priest was called to administer last rites.
But by Tuesday, everything changed.
“He’s a fighter — the way he was yesterday in such a critical condition, he did have a priest come anoint him,” Ryan said. “And all the prayers from around — it’s like a miracle. This guy’s got 9 lives, today he’s doing much better.”
Giuliani, 81, is now off the ventilator, breathing independently, and able to speak, though he remains in critical but stable condition. Ryan said she expects him to make a full recovery.
A spokesperson for Giuliani pointed to the long-term health toll of his time at Ground Zero following the September 11 attacks, where exposure to toxic debris led to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease — a condition that can make respiratory illnesses far more dangerous.
In a video update, spokesman Ted Goodman confirmed the improvement.
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the ultimate fighter,” Goodman said, adding that he is now “breathing on his own” while continuing to recover.
The scare comes after a series of health challenges in recent years, including a serious car crash in New Hampshire in 2025 that left Giuliani with a fractured vertebra and multiple injuries.
Yet once again, he’s defying the odds.
Doctors say the latest improvement could mark a turning point, though he remains under close monitoring in the days ahead.
