Rudy Giuliani's Daughter Says She Lost Her Aging Father to Donald Trump: 'I've Been Grieving'

Mar. 15, 2025

Caroline Giuliani and Rudy Giuliani in 2003.Photo:Carmen Valdes/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Carmen Valdes/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Rudy Giuliani’s daughter Caroline is urging Americans to be wary of former PresidentDonald Trumpahead of the 2024 presidential election after seeing her father’s life “crumble” because of his and Trump’s relationship.In a new essay forVanity Fairpublished on Sept. 30, Caroline, an outspoken Democrat, implored the public not to vote for Trump after seeing what happened to her father and announced her support for Vice PresidentKamala Harrisin the high-stakes presidential race.“After months of feeling the type of sorrow that comes from the death of a loved one, it dawned on me that I’ve been grieving the loss of my dad to Trump. I cannot bear to lose our country to him too,” Caroline, 35, wrote in part forVanity Fair.“I know that some people may question whether I truly care about my father, since another Trump presidency could theoretically mitigate some of the problems he’s facing,” she continued, seemingly referring to her father’slatest legal woes. “It distresses me to think that my dad might even wonder this. But if you zoom out, Trump being the president was the worst thing that ever happened to my dad, to my family, and to our nation’s modern history.“Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani at a remembrance ceremony on the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks at the World Trade in New York City on Sept. 11, 2024.ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty"The consequences will only be more severe — and irreversible — a second time around,” Caroline warned.A Los Angeles-based writer and filmmaker, Caroline is one of Giuliani’s two children with his second wife, Donna Hanover. Last week, Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and ex-personal lawyer for Trump, wasofficially disbarredin Washington, D.C., for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.Giuliani, once heralded as “America’s Mayor” who sought to unite the country in the wake of the9/11 terrorist attacks, served as Trump’s personal lawyer during the frenzy following the 2020 election, which led to a near-unraveling of his legal career.Rudy Giuliani speaks at a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Uniondale, New York on Sept. 18, 2024.DAVID DEE DELGADO/AFP via Getty"Watching my dad’s life crumble since he joined forces with Trump has been extraordinarily painful, both on a personal level and because his demise feels linked to a dark force that threatens to once again consume America,” Caroline wrote forVanity Fair.Writing that she and her father share “a cartoonishly complicated relationship,” Caroline emphasized that she loved her father, 80, and “the last thing I want to do is hurt him, especially when he’s already down.“Acknowledging that time with parents is finite, she added that that fact “makes this the most difficult piece I’ve ever written,” but underscored that the weight of the upcoming race is “bigger than any of us.“Giuliani’s daughter voiced her support for Harris andTim Walz’s ticket and said she’d “never forget” the night her father confided in her that he was thinking about becoming Trump’s lawyer, where she begged him to reconsider.“I held nothing back. I voiced all of my concerns about Trump’s open racism, rampant misogyny, and total lack of empathy… For the rest of that night, I held onto hope that a daughter’s emotional entreaty might actually sway a father,” Caroline wrote.Rudy Giuliani and Caroline Giuliani in 1993.Rick Maiman/Sygma via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“But nothing I have experienced prepared me for the very public and relentless implosion of my father’s life,” she added elsewhere in the essay.Caroline alsoopenly supportedPresidentJoe Bidenand Harris’ campaign in the 2020 race, and backed several Democratic candidates over the years, includingHillary Clintonand former PresidentBarack Obama.Over the summer, she posted an undated photo of herself and Harris onInstagramwith an adamant message.“PLEASE join me in uniting behind@kamalaharristo stop Trump. IT’S NOW OR NEVER,” she said.

Rudy Giuliani’s daughter Caroline is urging Americans to be wary of former PresidentDonald Trumpahead of the 2024 presidential election after seeing her father’s life “crumble” because of his and Trump’s relationship.

In a new essay forVanity Fairpublished on Sept. 30, Caroline, an outspoken Democrat, implored the public not to vote for Trump after seeing what happened to her father and announced her support for Vice PresidentKamala Harrisin the high-stakes presidential race.

“After months of feeling the type of sorrow that comes from the death of a loved one, it dawned on me that I’ve been grieving the loss of my dad to Trump. I cannot bear to lose our country to him too,” Caroline, 35, wrote in part forVanity Fair.

“I know that some people may question whether I truly care about my father, since another Trump presidency could theoretically mitigate some of the problems he’s facing,” she continued, seemingly referring to her father’slatest legal woes. “It distresses me to think that my dad might even wonder this. But if you zoom out, Trump being the president was the worst thing that ever happened to my dad, to my family, and to our nation’s modern history.”

Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani at a remembrance ceremony on the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks at the World Trade in New York City on Sept. 11, 2024.ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty

ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty

“The consequences will only be more severe — and irreversible — a second time around,” Caroline warned.

A Los Angeles-based writer and filmmaker, Caroline is one of Giuliani’s two children with his second wife, Donna Hanover. Last week, Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and ex-personal lawyer for Trump, wasofficially disbarredin Washington, D.C., for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Giuliani, once heralded as “America’s Mayor” who sought to unite the country in the wake of the9/11 terrorist attacks, served as Trump’s personal lawyer during the frenzy following the 2020 election, which led to a near-unraveling of his legal career.

Rudy Giuliani speaks at a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Uniondale, New York on Sept. 18, 2024.DAVID DEE DELGADO/AFP via Getty

DAVID DEE DELGADO/AFP via Getty

“Watching my dad’s life crumble since he joined forces with Trump has been extraordinarily painful, both on a personal level and because his demise feels linked to a dark force that threatens to once again consume America,” Caroline wrote forVanity Fair.

Writing that she and her father share “a cartoonishly complicated relationship,” Caroline emphasized that she loved her father, 80, and “the last thing I want to do is hurt him, especially when he’s already down.”

Acknowledging that time with parents is finite, she added that that fact “makes this the most difficult piece I’ve ever written,” but underscored that the weight of the upcoming race is “bigger than any of us.”

Giuliani’s daughter voiced her support for Harris andTim Walz’s ticket and said she’d “never forget” the night her father confided in her that he was thinking about becoming Trump’s lawyer, where she begged him to reconsider.

“I held nothing back. I voiced all of my concerns about Trump’s open racism, rampant misogyny, and total lack of empathy… For the rest of that night, I held onto hope that a daughter’s emotional entreaty might actually sway a father,” Caroline wrote.

Rudy Giuliani and Caroline Giuliani in 1993.Rick Maiman/Sygma via Getty

Rick Maiman/Sygma via Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“But nothing I have experienced prepared me for the very public and relentless implosion of my father’s life,” she added elsewhere in the essay.

Caroline alsoopenly supportedPresidentJoe Bidenand Harris’ campaign in the 2020 race, and backed several Democratic candidates over the years, includingHillary Clintonand former PresidentBarack Obama.

Over the summer, she posted an undated photo of herself and Harris onInstagramwith an adamant message.

“PLEASE join me in uniting behind@kamalaharristo stop Trump. IT’S NOW OR NEVER,” she said.

source: people.com