Arizona legislature shuts down after Rudy Giuliani's COVID-19 hospitalization


Arizona's state House and Senate will close for a week "out of an abundance of caution" following Rudy Giuliani's COVID-19 diagnosis, announced via tweet by President Trump, and hospitalization, The Arizona Republic reports. Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer, spent last week flying around to several states Trump lost, including Arizona, in a desperate bid to get Republican legislators to try and overturn President-elect Joe Biden's win.
Trump's campaign said in a statement that Giuliani "tested negative twice immediately preceding his trip to Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia," and "did not experience any symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 until more than 48 hours after his return." A person in contact with Giuliani told The New York Times he actually started feeling ill near the end of last week, and The Washington Post notes that asymptomatic people can still spread the virus.
The Trump campaign said no state legislators are on its contact-tracing list, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for "close contact," defined as people who were within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or longer.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Giuliani spent more than 10 hours discussing election concerns with Arizona Republicans — including two members of Congress and at least 10 current and future state lawmakers — at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix last Monday," the Republic reports. "The 76-year-old led the meeting maskless, flouting social distancing guidelines and posing for photos," including this one posted by the Arizona GOP.
On Tuesday, Giuliani met with Arizona's Republican House speaker and majority leader, Senate president and majority leader, and two other GOP state senators. Seven Arizona lawmakers have tested positive for COVID-19 this year, the Republic notes, and one of them, Rep. Arlando Teller (D), is still hospitalized after falling ill late November. State Sen. Martín Quezada (D) slammed GOP lawmakers, some of who attended an orientation for all new House members later last week, for their "COVID-19 irresponsibility."
Giuliani's son, Andrew, a White House adviser, announced that he had tested positive on Nov. 20, a day after appearing with his father at a news conference in Pennsylvania. Rudy Giuliani is the latest member of Trump's inner circle to contract the disease.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Five key questions about the Gaza peace deal
The Explainer Many ‘unresolved hurdles’ remain before Donald Trump’s 20-point plan can get the go-ahead
-
See the Northern Lights from these bucket list destinations
The Week Recommends The dazzling displays can be spotted across Iceland, Sweden and parts of Canada
-
Crossword: October 7, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the right
Speed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shot
Speed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreak
Speed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agency
Speed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials