Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is back to broadcast duties after being hospitalized with viral pneumonia.
Giuliani, 81, returned to his "America's Mayor" talk show Wednesday night and provided viewers with an update on his health.
"I'm in the middle of making a very, very full and complete recovery," he said.
Giuliani thanked family and medical staff for their support. He also mentioned President Donald Trump, who called him after he became ill, according to the former mayor. Giuliani had served as Trump’s personal attorney and adviser on legal efforts related to the president’s claims of fraud in the 2020 election.
The 81-year-old was
hospitalized on May 3, although the details of his condition were not initially disclosed at the time
"I feel 100 percent, but I'm probably not! I still am recovering from what was a pretty, pretty serious bout of viral pneumonia," he added, noting he made a steady recovery every day he was in the hospital.
His hospitalization, near Palm Beach, Florida, came after he was heard coughing on his nightly online talk show Friday and pointed out his hoarse voice to viewers, saying he was “a little under the weather.”
Giuliani served as mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. His tenure was marked by the Sept. 11 attack during which he rose to prominence for his leadership, ultimately being referred to as “America’s mayor.”
Ted Goodman, Giuliani's spokesman, first announced his hospitalization, explaining at the time that Giuliani ran toward the twin towers to help those in need on Sept. 11, which later led to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease.
"On September 11th, Mayor Giuliani ran toward the towers to help those in need, which later led to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease," Goodman
wrote in a May 4 X post. "This condition adds complications to any respiratory illness, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition."
Last September, Giuliani was hospitalized after suffering a fractured vertebra and other injuries in a car crash in New Hampshire.
Giuliani was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April 2000, which later led him to drop out of the U.S. Senate race against Hillary Clinton.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
