Caroline Rose Giuliani, the daughter of former New York City Mayor Giuliani, penned a heartbreaking essay for Vanity Fair about "watching my dad’s life crumble" since he joined forces with former President Donald Trump.
In it, she implored Americans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris on Election Day, saying "it would be naive for us to ignore the fact that many of those closest to Trump have descended into catastrophic downward spirals" and that "If we let Trump back into the driver's seat this fall, our country will be no exception."
Caroline Giuliani's endorsement of Harris is especially significant given the lengths her father has gone for Trump at the expense of his own political legacy and relationships with loved ones.
In a post on Instagram, she wrote:
"Writing this piece stirred up a type of pain I know that so many Americans can relate to. Trump’s divisive cruelty has torn countless families apart. He is a destroyer, not a builder."
"Please save our democracy by voting for [Harris and Tim Walz] this November."
You can see her post below.
Her essay was published just days after her father was disbarred in Washington, following the earlier revocation of his law license in New York for promoting false claims made by Trump regarding his 2020 election loss.
She wrote, in part:
"From reproductive rights and the economy, to foreign and environmental policy, we need experienced, sane, and fundamentally decent leaders who will fight for us instead of against us—who will safeguard our democracy rather than dismantle it."
"And as a recently engaged-to-be-married, 35-year-old who hopes to feel more joyous than fearful about the potential of becoming a parent myself, I need to advocate for a future worth bringing children into, which is why I am voicing my adamant support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz."
She recalled the moment Giuliani told her that he was considering becoming Trump's lawyer, saying "it was extremely rare for my dad to tell me he was going to do anything before actually doing it, so this moment of connection with him also felt like a cosmic opportunity to do my part to limit the spread of Trump’s sinister shadow."
She added:
"I held nothing back. I voiced all of my concerns about Trump’s open racism, rampant misogyny, and total lack of empathy. I even told my dad that I already felt ashamed of my last name whenever I saw headlines connecting him with Trump, and that this escalation would only deepen that feeling."
"For the rest of that night, I held onto hope that a daughter’s emotional entreaty might actually sway a father. That fantasy was dispelled the next morning when a news story popped onto my feed: Rudy Giuliani was going to work for Donald Trump."
"The pit I felt in my stomach then was a warning, but I had no idea how much destruction my father would come to face due to his one-sided fealty to a con-man."
Caroline Giuliani acknowledged that she "always saw flaws in my dad that people blinded by his celebrity couldn’t see, but on some level, the absurd scale of his success and notoriety also made it hard to believe that anything could actually take him down." But, she added, "the deeper my dad gets stuck in the quicksand of his problems, the more fleeting our opportunities to connect as father and daughter become" and she "cannot bear to lose our country" to Trump too.
She then explained why another Trump presidency would be dangerous for the country and explained why she is endorsing Harris:
"Trump being the president was the worst thing that ever happened to my dad, to my family, and to our nation’s modern history. The consequences will only be more severe—and irreversible— a second time around. Thanks to the extremist Supreme Court he stacked, Trump would take office with full immunity: no checks on his power whatsoever."
"If the president isn’t going to be subject to the law like every other citizen, which remains incomprehensible to me, then our president had better have a moral compass. A 34-time convicted felon who’s been found liable for sexual abuse, tries to steal elections, and demeans people based on their race, sexuality, disability status, and gender falls remarkably short of the bar we must set for ourselves as a country. "
"Fortunately, we have another choice in this election: a life-long public servant who has spent her career upholding justice and fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves."
She also pointed out that Trump, emboldened by the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, "has made it clear that he intends to continue ravaging our noble experiment until there is nothing left of it" and that "it’s clear that he’s a narcissist in pursuit of authoritarian rule." However, Harris's "rapid rise is a literal manifestation of citizens’ voices being heard, which is exactly the type of consideration and respect all Americans will get if she is elected."
She also explained how the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade factors into her decision not to vote for Trump, pointing to her personal experience as a woman who has struggled with infertility:
"Beyond the existential importance of this election, I am also voting for Harris because she is the only candidate who cares about my rights as a woman. The reversal of Roe v Wade was a shocking and horrifying “accomplishment” of Trump’s that has already resulted in the unforgivable and unnecessary deaths of innocent women like Amber Nicole Thurman."
"Seeing Republican state officials enact draconian abortion bans and threaten fertility care is incredibly personal for me. As a woman in my 30s struggling with long-covid-related health issues, there’s a possibility that my soon-to-be husband and I will need to rely on surrogacy or fertility treatments if we want to have children of our own."
"Having the means to even consider surrogacy is a tremendous privilege that I do not take lightly, but it also stirs up many complex and challenging emotions. So I’ve spent the last couple of years talking to countless women about their fertility journeys. Witnessing their strength has been inspiring, and it has also made it clear that fertility struggles necessitate tremendous courage and grace."
"So the fact the Roe reversal has given states the leeway to make the IVF process even more uncertain is a disgrace. And hearing Trump flip-flop on the issues of abortion and IVF only makes me trust him less – if that’s even possible – because his lies are so clearly politically motivated. He’s already caused irreparable damage, and I don’t believe for a second that he won’t cause more."
Caroline Giuliani further stressed the dangers of Project 2025, a set of conservative and right-wing policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation aimed at restructuring the United States federal government and consolidating executive power if the Republican nominee wins the 2024 presidential election.
Although Trump has claimed to have no knowledge of these proposals, it's worth noting that of the 38 individuals responsible for writing and editing Project 2025, 31 were appointed or nominated to positions in the Trump administration and transition. Caroline Giuliani said these proposals are "a dictator’s playbook—one he didn’t have before. Trump will be much more effective a second time around, and I don’t see how our world can survive it."
Noting that Trump, via Project 2025, will "only accelerate the damage he’s already done" to other matters, particularly climate regulation, she expressed hope that a Harris presidency would be prepared to face this existential threat head on.
She concluded with the following appeal to voters—and a warning:
"If for whatever reason you choose to sit this election out or lodge a protest-vote for a third-party candidate, make no mistake: you are voting for Donald Trump."
"Take it from me, Trump destroys everything he touches. I saw it happen to my family. Don’t let it happen to yours, or to our country."
"Kamala Harris will guide us into a brighter future, but only if we unite behind her. On November 5th, I’ll be voting for that future. For justice, stability, and democracy. And I sincerely hope you’ll cast your ballot for Kamala Harris, too."
Her essay quickly went viral—with many appreciating her words and joining her in sounding the alarm.
Rudy Giuliani’s promotion of Trump’s baseless election fraud claims has resulted in criminal charges and severe financial strain. He was ordered to pay $148 million in damages after a jury sided with two former Georgia election workers who sued him for defamation over false accusations he made against them in 2020.
As one of Trump’s most outspoken defenders during the 2020 election, Giuliani repeatedly pushed unproven claims of widespread voter fraud after Trump’s defeat to President Joe Biden.
His law license was suspended in Washington, and in Pennsylvania, a review panel recommended his disbarment last year due to his involvement in a lawsuit attempting to reverse Trump’s loss in the state.
Following the defamation ruling, Giuliani declared bankruptcy in December, but his case was dismissed in July after a judge cited his failure to comply with court directives, reveal income sources, and hire a financial professional to assess his records.
Giuliani has denied the nine felony charges filed against him in Arizona, which allege he spread false claims of voter fraud after the 2020 election. He also faces charges in Georgia, alongside Trump and other associates, for allegedly conspiring to overturn the state’s 2020 election outcome.
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