In point of fact, Republican pundits and talking heads are now engaging in reality ignoring acrobatics by hinting that the diagnosis of pneumonia – as well as the Clinton’s campaign statement she was overheated – is nothing more than a cover up.
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But hours later, Clinton announced she would cancel plans to head to the West Coast on Monday and Tuesday, according to reports from multiple news outlets. Clinton’s campaign later scrapped her schedule for Monday and Tuesday, which included fundraisers and appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in California.
Given the unusual circumstances of the Trump doctor’s letter, it’s quite odd that the national news media has paid so little attention to Trump’s blatant attempt to cover up the reality of his own poor health.
Donald Trump and his top surrogates have claimed that she faces a health crisis, citing selectively edited videos of public events to advance claims she’s suffered seizures. He said that ideally, presidential nominees should allow an independent panel to assess their health.
The incident compounds an already hard stretch for Ms Clinton as the presidential race enters its final stretch. Despite Trump’s numerous missteps, the race remains close and many Americans view Clinton as dishonest and untrustworthy.
On Saturday, Clinton came under fire from Republicans and on social media for saying Friday night that “half” of Trump’s supporters belonged in a “basket of deplorables”.
Given existing unease about her e-mails and the Clinton Foundation, Clinton needs to be open about what happened on Sunday, said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, a professor at Rice University. While she was at the ceremony, it was warm and humid. He said he was standing behind her during the remembrance and “she did not seem out of the ordinary at all”. “I can imagine they don’t want to play into conspiracy theories about her health, but if you don’t say something, if you’re not out there, pretty soon the silence begins to be interpreted in a negative way”.
“There are times in all of our lives when we don’t feel well”, he said. Later in the day, according to the Associated Press, she left her daughter’s apartment, waved to the crowd and said she was “feeling great”.
Clinton exited the apartment on her own shortly before noon.
Asked after the event about Clinton’s health incident, Trump said, “I don’t know anything about it”. “It’s a attractive day in NY”.
Clinton appeared better as she walked out of her daughter Chelsea’s home a few hours later, smiling and posing for pictures with a young girl before departing for Chappaqua.
Mrs Clinton’s doctor said she was put on antibiotics and advised to rest following the diagnosis on Friday, but added the politician was “recovering nicely”. The journalists who travel with her campaign were not there to witness her arrival. That official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn’t authorized to disclose information publicly.
The incident, in which a wobbly Mrs Clinton appeared to lose her footing as she was helped into her vehicle, offered Republican Donald Trump a new opening to attack his White House rival with just 15 days before their first high-pressure presidential debate.
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Clinton and her supporters have pushed back against opponents’ suggestions that she is hiding a health problem; Clinton’s personal doctor said previous year that she is in “excellent physical condition” and “fit to serve” as president.
