Giuliani off ventilator and now breathing on his own, doctor says

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is breathing on his own after his ventilator is removed, his doctor said, adding that he has “9 lives” after his dramatic recovery from a serious situation.

Dr. Maria Ryan told Fox News correspondent Danamarie McNicholl that after Giuliani returned from a trip to Paris, he started feeling ill, his breathing got worse enough to require hospitalization, and he was put on a ventilator.

Ryan said his condition became critical and a priest was called to his bedside to perform last rites.

But by Tuesday, his condition had improved enough for doctors to take him off the ventilator. He is now able to breathe and speak independently, but remains in critical but stable condition.

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“He’s a warrior; he was in such critical condition yesterday that he had a priest brought in to anoint him,” Ryan told Fox News. “And the prayers coming from those around are like a miracle. This man has 9 lives, he is in a much better situation today.”

Ryan said he expects Giuliani to make a full recovery.

A spokesman for Giuliani also noted Giuliani’s health history after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in which he was exposed to debris while responding at Ground Zero, which later led to a diagnosis of restrictive respiratory disease.

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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attends the annual September 11 Memorial Ceremony held at the National September 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 was now “breathing on his own” and was in “critical but stable condition.”

“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the ultimate warrior,” Goodman said.

The update comes after Giuliani was hospitalized with serious breathing problems, sparking concerns about his condition. His team had previously said his condition was critical but stable.

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Giuliani, 81, has faced a number of health problems 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. The car he was riding in was rear-ended on Interstate 93 in Manchester, resulting in a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and other injuries, authorities said.

Despite these setbacks, Giuliani returned to work and continued to make public appearances in the months that followed.

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Ryan said the latest development was a turning point in his recovery, but doctors will continue to monitor his condition closely in the coming days.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.