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

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is breathing on his own after being taken off a ventilator, his doctor said, adding that he has “9 lives” following a dramatic turnaround from a disastrous condition.

Dr. Maria Ryan told Fox News correspondent Danamarie McNicholl that Giuliani began feeling ill after returning from a trip to Paris, with his breathing deteriorating to the point that he needed to be hospitalized and was placed on a ventilator.

Ryan said his condition had become critical, prompting a priest to be called to his bedside to perform the last rites.

By Tuesday, however, his condition had improved enough for doctors to take him off the ventilator. He is now breathing independently and can speak, although he remains in critical but stable condition.

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Rudy Giuliani attends the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York on September 11, 2025, honoring the victims of the 24th anniversary terrorist attacks. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“He’s a fighter – the way he was yesterday, in such critical condition, a priest came and anointed him,” Ryan told Fox News. “And all the prayers from all over the world, it’s like a miracle. This guy has 9 lives, today he’s much better.”

Ryan said she expects Giuliani to make a full recovery.

A spokesperson for Giuliani also highlighted his medical history after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when he was exposed to debris while responding to Ground Zero, which later led to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease.

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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attends the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York in September 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

In a video shared on X, Ted Goodman said Giuliani is “breathing on his own” and remains in “critical but stable condition.”

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

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

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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. Authorities said the vehicle he was in was struck from behind on Interstate 93 in Manchester, leaving him with a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and other injuries.

Despite these setbacks, Giuliani returned to work and continued to appear publicly in the months that followed.

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Ryan said the latest improvement marks a turning point in his recovery, although doctors will continue to monitor his condition closely in the coming days.

Charles Creitz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.