Rudy Giuliani 'breathing on his own' after 9/11-induced health scare

Giuliani was in the final year of his two-term mayoralty when terrorists hijacked airliners and crashed them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, killing thousands. He was two blocks away when the first tower fell at 9:59 a.m. ET on that otherwise sunny Tuesday and felt the effects first-hand, close-up.

Giuliani spokesman Ted Goodman told Fox News Digital on Monday that the 81-year-old ex-mayor and former presidential candidate is currently recovering from pneumonia and still being monitored at a Florida hospital as a "precautionary measure."

"This disease adds complications to any emerging respiratory issue, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain his blood pressure."

Goodman said Monday that Giuliani is now breathing on his own and has primary medical providers at his side.

"Mayor Giuliani is the ultimate fighter - as he has demonstrated throughout his life - and he is winning this battle," the top aide said.

"His family deeply appreciates the outpouring of love and support," Goodman continued. "The mayor believes in the power of prayer, and we are feeling that strength today. He remains in critical but stable condition. Keep the prayers coming."

He previously survived a fight with prostate cancer in 2000 and later contracted COVID-19 in 2020 when he was a senior citizen and considered at high-risk for facing adverse impacts of the virus.

The former longtime prosecutor was credited as the key U.S. Attorney responsible for deconstructing the ancient nexus between organized crime and unions in New York City - as Giuliani successfully prosecuted the "Five Families" in the 1980s and successfully sought sentences in excess of 100 years in some cases.

After 9/11, Giuliani launched a consulting firm and later an unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid.

Fox News' Heather Lacy contributed to this report.